.gif)
Ghostbusters (franchise)
Encyclopedia
Ghostbusters is a supernatural
comedy
multi-media franchise
created in 1984. Its inception was for the movie Ghostbusters
, released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures
. It centered around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghost
s for a living. For the movie this franchise licensed action figures, novelization
s, and other original materials to be produced around the movies' theme. After this initial success they released original stories in other fields such as a comic book
, a video game, a television series, and a theme park attraction. With the 2009 release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game
the characters within the Ghostbusters universe set up their own fictional version of a Ghostbusters franchise to open Ghostbusters locations in other cities, which in real life was earlier seen in two independent film
s not officially approved by Columbia Pictures.
's own fascination with the paranormal, and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live
alum John Belushi
. Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology
in the American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghostchasers. Aykroyd thought, "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually."
The original story as written by Aykroyd was much more ambitious—and unfocused—than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghost
s (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore SWAT
-like outfits and used wands instead of Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboard
s show them wearing riot squad
–type helmets with movable transparent visor
s. The original draft of the script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman
.
Aykroyd pitched his story to director/producer Ivan Reitman, who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion, the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the final screenplay
which Aykroyd and Harold Ramis hammered out over the course of a few months in a Martha's Vineyard
bomb shelter
, according to Ramis on the DVD commentary track for the movie. Aykroyd and Ramis initially wrote the script with roles written especially for Belushi, Eddie Murphy
and John Candy
. However, Belushi died due to a drug overdose during the writing of the screenplay, and neither Murphy nor Candy could commit to the movie due to prior engagements, so Aykroyd and Ramis shifted some of these changes around and polished a basic, yet sci-fi oriented screenplay for their final draft.
In addition to Aykroyd's high-concept basic premise and Ramis' skill at grounding the fantastic elements with a realistic setting, the film benefits from Bill Murray's semi-improvisational performance as Peter Venkman
, the character initially intended for Belushi. The extent of Murray's improvisation while delivering his lines varies wildly with every re-telling of the making of the film; some say he never even read the script, and improvised so much he deserves a writing credit, while others insist that he only improvised a few lines, and used his deadpan comic delivery to make scripted lines seem spontaneous.
With the first DVD release of the film on the 15th anniversary of the original theatrical release, many original concepts of the film were revealed, based on the storyboard artwork: Louis Tully was originally to be a conservative
man in a business suit played by comedian John Candy, but Candy was unable to commit to the role. The role was taken by Rick Moranis, portraying Louis as a geek
. Gozer was originally going to appear in the form of Ivo Shandor as a slender, unremarkable man in a suit played by Paul Reubens
. In the end, the role was played by Yugoslavian model Slavitza Jovan
, whose Eastern European accent was later dubbed by Paddi Edwards
.
Winston Zeddemore
was written with Eddie Murphy in mind, but he had to decline the role as he was filming Beverly Hills Cop
at the same time. When Murphy had the role, Zeddemore was going to be hired much earlier in the film, and would accompany the trio on their hunt for Slimer
at the hotel and be slimed in place of Peter Venkman. When Ernie Hudson
took over, it was decided that he be brought in later to indicate how the Ghostbusters were struggling to keep up with the outbreak of ghosts.
In order to properly light the set for Gozer's temple and create the physical effects for the set, other stages needed to be shut down and all their power diverted over to the set. The hallway sets for the Sedgewick Hotel were originally built for the movie Rich and Famous
in 1981 and patterned after the Algonquin Hotel
in New York City, where Reitman originally wanted to do the hotel bust. The Biltmore Hotel
was chosen because the large lobby allowed for a tracking shot
of the Ghostbusters in complete gear for the first time. Dana Barrett and Louis Tully's apartments were constructed across two stages and were actually on the other side of their doors in the hallway, an unusual move in filmmaking.
A problem arose during filming when it was discovered that a show was produced in 1975 by Filmation
for CBS
called The Ghost Busters
. (This show's title is written as two words like the 1984 movie instead of one word like its poster and promotional materials.) Columbia Pictures
prepared a list of alternative names in the event the rights could not be secured, but during the filming of the crowd for the final battle, the extras were all chanting "Ghostbusters", which inspired the producers to insist that the studio buy the rights to the name. For the test screening of Ghostbusters, half of the ghost effects were missing, not yet having been completed by the production team. The audience response was still enthusiastic, and the ghost elements were completed for the official theatrical release shortly thereafter.
is the first movie in the series. It is a 1984
sci-fi
comedy film
about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists. After they are fired from a university, they start their own business investigating and capturing ghosts. It was released in the United States on June 8, 1984, starring Bill Murray
, Dan Aykroyd
, Harold Ramis
, Rick Moranis
, Sigourney Weaver
, Annie Potts
, and Ernie Hudson
. The film grossed approximately US$
240 million in the U.S. and over $50 million abroad during its theatrical run, more than the domestic gross of the second Indiana Jones
installment, making it the most successful film in America that year (after re-releases), and one of the most successful comedies of the 1980s. The American Film Institute
ranked it 28th in its list of the top 100 comedies of all time (in their 100 Years...100 Laughs
list). In 2005, IGN
voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever. In 2006, Bravo (US TV channel) ranked Ghostbusters number 76 on their 100 Funniest Movies list.
, was released in 1989
. After the success of the first film and the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures
pressured the producers to make a sequel. However, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ivan Reitman
were uncomfortable with this as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. Reportedly, some of the cast and crew were ultimately dissatisfied with the film as well as its box office reception.
During the 1990s, Aykroyd wrote a script for a potential third film in the series. The concept reportedly had the characters transported to an alternate version
of Manhattan called Manhellton, where the people and places are hell
ish versions of their originals and they meet the devil (a modified version of this script was later used in Ghostbusters: The Video Game
). At the time, Aykroyd stated that the studio was interested, though the principal actors were not. It featured a new, younger group of Ghostbusters while characters Ray, Egon, and Winston (who is referred to as Dr. Zeddemore) struggle to keep the business going after Peter leaves to be with Dana. In reviewing the proposed script, IGN
stated that the new Ghostbusters were "practically interchangeable," lacked personality conflicts, and were not "especially funny or charming." It also found the script to be too full of technobabble, and Venkman's appearance at the end is noted to be the "best gag" in the script.
Over the years, various rumors have floated around about the film, including reports stating that Murray was the only original Ghostbuster not interested as he disliked sequels, and that Ramis wanted Ben Stiller
to join the cast.
During a 2009 interview, Ramis stated that the project had stalled due to lack of interest and motivation to do it. Both Ramis and Aykroyd subsequently confirmed that the script would call for a new group of younger Ghostbusters taking the lead, with Aykroyd stating, "There’ll be a whole new generation that has to be trained and a leader that you'll all love when you meet her. There'll be lots of cadets, boys and girls who'll be learning how to use the neuron splitter and the inter-planet interceptor—new tools to enable them to slip from dimension to dimension." Rick Moranis
has not stated whether he would or would not be a part of the sequel as he has (apparently) retired from acting. Sigourney Weaver
said she expected to return alongside all the other original cast.
On January 13, 2010, Ivan Reitman
confirmed that he will be directing the film. In March 2010, Bill Murray appeared on Late Show with David Letterman
and talked about his potential return to Ghostbusters III, stating "I'd do it only if my character was killed off in the first reel." In an interview with Coming Soon
, Murray said: "You know, maybe I should just do it. Maybe it'd be fun to do." In May 2010, Aykroyd said a release is set for Christmas 2012. Later, in the October 2010 issue of Vanity Fair
, Aykroyd gave an update on the status of the Ghostbusters 3 script, written by Gene Stupnitsky
and Lee Eisenberg
, writer-producers of The Office: "I’m working on the script now and those two—Stupnitsky and Eisenberg, wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime, and the new Ghostbusters and the old are all well represented in it...we have a strong first draft that Harold [Ramis] and I will take back, and I’m very excited about working on it." Shortly after that interview, at the Spike TV Scream Awards, Bill Murray appeared on the show to accept an award for Zombieland
. He arrived on stage in full Ghostbusters gear, but gave no statements regarding the film.
On October 14, 2010 Stefano Paganini, one of Sony's product marketing managers, appeared at a Ghostbusters event in Rome and said "I spoke about this tonight with my boss from Los Angeles. She allowed me to let you know that the script of Ghostbusters 3 has been approved so the engine has been turned on!" The official press release has yet to be issued, but is expected within Q1 2012.
As of March 14, 2011, the project continues to move forward, slowly, with the main holdup still being Bill Murray. He reportedly had received the script, but has yet to read it.
On August 25, 2011, Dan Aykroyd
confirmed to Dennis Miller
on The Dennis Miller Show that Ghostbusters 3 was moving forward and planned to shoot in Spring 2012 with or without the involvement of Bill Murray
. "Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray," he says, "That is our hope. We have an excellent script. What we have to remember is that 'Ghostbusters' is bigger than any one component, although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributive to it in a massive way, as was the director and Harold Ramis
, myself and Sigourney Weaver
. The concept is much larger than any individual role and the promise of Ghostbusters 3 is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood." He also revealed minor details for Harold Ramis
' Egon Spengler
and his character Ray Stantz's current statuses. "My character, Ray, is now blind in one eye and can't drive the Cadillac," he says, "He's got a bad knee and can't carry the packs... Egon is too large to get into the harness. We need young blood and that's the promise. We're gonna hand it to a new generation." One of the prospective Ghostbusters that Aykroyd has his eye on is Matthew Gray Gubler
. "I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler
from the Criminal Minds
show," he adds, "But there's going to be a casting. We're going to see everyone that wants to do it. We're going to need... three guys and a young woman."
On September 15, John Hodgman
hinted about his possible involvement with the third Ghostbusters movie on The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling
after stating he had been running some "secret" errands for Dan Aykroyd
lately. It was hinted that Hodgman was offered the role of Egon Spengler
's deadbeat son. "If you were hypothetically offered a role in Ghostbusters 3... would you take the role? Let's say you're [playing] sort of the dissolute son of Egon, the Harold Ramis
character, and you're kind of like John Candy
in Splash, you're kind of a mess. But it turns out you're a natural ghost-whisperer, a natural psychic." Hodgman also insinuated that Bill Murray
was in fact the main hold up with the film and did not want a new cast or film to be made without his involvement. "But here's the thing: Bill Murray's not going to be in this movie, and probably not happy that you are. But you get to be in a major role, in a major movie and one of the greatest franchises of all time. Would you do it?" Hodgman later announced on his Twitter
account that his statements were merely "a radio joke".
and DiC Entertainment
produced an animated spin-off television series that is non-canon to the original film, entitled The Real Ghostbusters
. "The Real" was added to the title over a dispute with Filmation and its Ghostbusters properties
. The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Dr. Ray Stantz, their secretary Janine Melnitz, and their mascot ghost Slimer. The Real Ghostbusters was nominated for an Emmy.
When the show's producers began to see the youth appeal of the character Slimer, he began to be featured more prominently. (He also made a cameo in Ghostbusters II
eating out of a lunch box as if he lived in the fire house in the film as he did in the animated series. He was also seen driving a bus and ultimately helped Louis Tully reach the Manhattan Museum of Art to help the rest of the Ghostbusters.) In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. The show now featured an hourlong format with a typical Real Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly Slimer! cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Real Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten the growing fanbase of young children. Additionally, the characterizations became more one-dimensional, and the animation became less detailed. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of writer J. Michael Straczynski
. Dave Coulier
of Full House
fame came on to fill the role of Peter (voiced by Lorenzo Music
), Buster Jones
took over Winston from Arsenio Hall
and Kath Soucie
took on Janine after Laura Summer
voiced the role. Many of the older fans disliked the switch to more kid-friendly stories and by the turn of the decade, the Ghostbusters franchise was slowly starting to fade out of the public eye. The show was ultimately cancelled in 1991. Straczynski returned to the series for a temporary spell in the 1990 season. The only cast members who remained throughout the entire series were Frank Welker
(voice of Ray Stantz and Slimer) and Maurice LaMarche
(voice of Egon Spengler).
was a sequel/spin-off
of The Real Ghostbusters
, airing in the fall of 1997. The show featured a new team of younger Ghostbusters led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler
, secretary Janine Melnitz
, and the ghost, Slimer
. The premise is similar to the plot of Ghostbusters II
. Set years after the end of The Real Ghostbusters
, lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each has gone his separate way, except for Egon, who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies, and teach a class on the paranormal at a local college. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters were Kylie Griffin, a girl genius and expert on the occult and female counter part to Egon; Eduardo Rivera, a hip, cynical Latino slacker and counter part to Peter; Garrett Miller, a wheelchair-bound young athlete and counter part to Ray; and Roland Jackson, a studious African-American machinery whiz and counter part to Winston. The show was given the Los Angeles Commission on Disabilities Award for making one of its main characters (Garrett) disabled but universally relatable.
written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr.
The song took a day and a half to write. The song was a huge hit, staying #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and #1 for two weeks on the Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Awards
nomination for "Best Song."
The music video
produced for the song is considered one of the key productions in the early music video era, and was a #1 MTV
video. Directed by Ivan Reitman
, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson, the video organically integrated footage of the film in a specially designed haunted house, lined with neon in its entirety. The film footage was intercut with a humorous performance by Parker and featured cameo appearances by celebrities who joined in the call and response chorus, including Chevy Chase
, Irene Cara
, John Candy
, Nickolas Ashford, Melissa Gilbert
, Jeffrey Tambor
, George Wendt
, Al Franken
, Danny DeVito
, Carly Simon
, Peter Falk
and Teri Garr
. The video ends with comical footage of the four main Ghostbusters actors, in costume and character, dancing in Times Square
behind Parker, joining in the singing.
Huey Lewis
sued Ray Parker, Jr. for copyright infringement
, citing that Parker stole the melody from his 1983 song "I Want a New Drug
". Lewis was approached to compose the main theme song for the movie, but he declined. It was reported in 2001 that Lewis allegedly breached an agreement not to mention the original suit, doing so on VH1
's Behind the Music
. Lindsey Buckingham
was also approached to do the theme song based on his success with "Holiday Road" for the National Lampoon's Vacation
films. He declined, reasoning that he did not want to be known as just a soundtrack artist.
The sequel spawned two singles from the soundtrack. R&B
artist Bobby Brown
had a successful hit with "On Our Own", while hip hop
group Run-D.M.C.
were commissioned to perform "Ghostbusters" (rap version).
. (The show closed sometime in 1996 to make way for Twister: Ride It Out!) The Ghostbusters were also featured in a lip-synching dance show featuring Beetlejuice
on the steps of the New York Public Library
facade at the park after the attraction closed. The GBs were all new and "extreme" versions in the show, save for the Zeddemore character. Their Ecto-1 automobile was used to drive them around the park, and was often used in the park's annual "Macy's Holiday Parade". The show, Ecto-1, and all other Ghostbuster trademarks were discontinued in 2005 when Universal failed to renew the rights for theme park use. Currently, the Ghostbuster Firehouse can still be seen near Twister, without its GB logo and "Engine 89" ribbon. A "paranormal investigator" etching on a nearby doorway hints at the old show. For the show, an experimental silicone
skin was used on Slimer, which took two weeks to put together. Extreme Ghostbusters
has also seen a line of children's toys released by Trendmasters.
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association
(NECA) released a line of action figures based on the first movie but only produced a series of ghost characters, as Bill Murray refused the rights to use his facial likeness. Their first and only series included Gozer, Slimer
(or Onionhead), the Terror Dogs: Zuul and Vinz Clortho, and a massive Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
, contrasting the diminutive figure that was in the original figure line. Ertl
released a die-cast 1/25 scale Ectomobile, also known as the Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters' main transportation. Rubies' Costumes has produced a Ghostbusters Halloween costume, consisting of a one-piece jumpsuit with logos and an inflatable Proton Pack. Art Asylum
's Minimates
toyline features a Ghostbusters subline, including a box set of characters from the 2009 video game.
The first film was released on a USB drive through PNY Technologies in partnership with Sony in 2008.
In January 2010 Toys R Us released the Villains Series 3 of the Ghostbusters Minimates.
In September 2010, Omni Consumer Products and FMCG Manufacturing Co. of San Francisco introduced a line of marshmallows in a collectible box under the Stay Puft brand.
In PlayStation Home
, the PlayStation 3's online community-based social gaming network, Sony Pictures Loot
, in association with Atari
and Terminal Reality
, has released an apartment space in Home on June 18, 2009. Called the "Ghostbusters Firehouse: On Location", this space is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters and its worldwide release on Blu-ray. The Firehouse personal space is a detailed replica of the three floor Ghostbusters headquarters from the original film. It comes complete with the ghost containment unit in the basement, the garage and office areas on the 1st floor, plus the living room, laboratory, fire poles, bedroom and bathroom areas. Users can, through the use of an external special effects/compositing programs, create images of their avatar driving the film's Ecto-1 vehicle in their own machinima movies. Users are also able to fly around as Slimer. A Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
headwear item for users avatars also comes with the purchase of the space. Ghostbusters costumes, other ornaments, and t-shirts from Loot are also available for users to purchase at Home's shopping complex. This is all available in the North American version of Home.
signed an agreement with 88MPH Studios to work on a comic update of the Ghostbusters movie, to be released the following fall. Ghostbusters: Legion
saw the return of the four Ghostbusters and the principal cast from the movie. Legion saw an update to the series by setting the events of the first movie in 2004 rather than 1984. Set six months after the Gozer incident, the series was designed to follow the Ghostbusters as their initial fame faded and they returned to the regular chore of busting ghosts on a daily basis. The series sees the team run ragged as a spate of supernatural crimes and other related occurrences plague the city, as well as contemplating the greater effects of their success beyond the immediate media attention.
Manga publisher Tokyopop
produced an original English-language manga
at about the same time that the video game
was announced. It was released in October 2008, under the title Ghostbusters: Ghost Busted. Taking place between the second film and the game, the manga featured a series of one-shot stories from several different artists and writers, as well as a subplot involving Jack Hardemeyer (from the second movie) and a vengeful army of ghosts attempting to get revenge on the Ghostbusters.
IDW Publishing
also released a comic book series based on the franchise. Their first series, Ghostbusters: The Other Side, was written by Keith Champagne
, with art by Tom Nguyen. A second series was later released in 2009 with Ghostbusters: Displaced Aggression. A third series, Ghostbusters: Haunted Holidays was released November 2010. Now a monthly comic series is scheduled to be released in September 2011.
In the late eighties, NOW Comics
and Marvel UK
published, The Real Ghostbusters
, comics based on the TV series of the same name.
, the novel revolves around Peter Venkman running for mayor of New York City and an ancient entity trying to conquer the world by bringing urban legends to life.
iBooks.net, the company that published the novel, is no longer in business, and the novel only saw one printing. The book is now a sought out collectible for Ghostbusters fans due to its limited printing often fetching over $100 for a copy.
film
and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction used to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts. In addition to the main technology used in the series, a script draft for Ghostbusters III includes the Ghostbusters developing a machine to transport themselves to an alternate Manhattan
to save New York.
The main equipment used by the Ghostbusters to capture ghosts is the Proton Pack: a reportedly unlicensed nuclear accelerator which fires a proton
stream that polarizes with the negatively charged energy of a ghost allowing it to be held in the stream while active. The proton packs' particle throwers were originally portrayed as wands worn on each arm. In current versions, it consists of a hand-held wand ("Neutrino
Wand" as described and scripted by Dan Aykroyd
, also called a "Proton
Gun" or particle thrower within the franchise) connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator
("Proton Pack
"). It has also been pronounced, and is spelled in the subtitles for Ghostbusters: The Video Game
, as a neutrona wand ("neutrona" not an actual scientific term), and together with the back worn Proton Pack was referred to as a "positron collider" in the first movie. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game
, the Proton Pack is upgraded to include additional firing modes two of which are the Stasis Stream and the Meson Collider. In the PS2, PSP, and Wii versions, the Meson Collider is replaced with Boson Darts, which are functionally identical but require the Proton Stream to be in use.
The Slime Blower
is seen and developed in the movie Ghostbusters II
, this piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of the psychomagnetheric "mood slime" that has been reinforced with positive emotions as to neutralize its negatively reinforced counterparts. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, configured into the Proton Pack, the Slime Blower can also shoot Slime Tethers which can be used to pull objects together and to solve some environmental puzzles. In the PS2, PSP, and Wii versions of the game, the tether is replaced with Slime Mines, which are charged balls of slime that explode on contact with ghosts, or after a short period if stuck to other objects. A toy Slime Blower was released with the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ecto-Charger Pack. Unique to the Ghostbusters comics, the "Ecto-Splat" is a flamethrower
-like device similar to the Slime Blower. It fires a hard jet of ectoplasm, which can damage or break up ghosts. As it fires it makes a noise spelled "zzax".
The Ghostbusters also use equipment to hunt and find ghosts, such as a PKE meter, Ecto-Goggles, and a Ghost Sniffer. A PKE meter is a handheld device, used in locating and measuring Psycho-Kinetic Energy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts. The device's most prominent feature are winged arms that raise and lower in relation to the amount of PKE detected while a digital display gives an exact reading for the operator. The Giga meter is a device similar to the PKE meter, featured in Ghostbusters II
. As explained by Egon in the original script, the Giga meter measures PKE in GeV, or giga-electronvolt
s. Ecto-Goggles, sometimes known as "Spectro-Visors", are a special pair of goggles that visually trace PKE readings. They are particularly useful in helping its wearer see normally invisible ghosts and it can also be used to assist in tracking ghosts within a visible field of search. There is also a "Ghost Sniffer" only seen used (incorrectly) by Peter Venkman thus far. A toy Ghost Sniffer was released as part of the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ghost Nabber.
The Trap is a box with a split, hinged lid, remote-controlled by a simple pedal switch, attached to the end of the box by a long cable. When a ghost is brought close to the trap (usually by means of the proton pack, though not necessarily), the ghost trap is activated by the foot switch. Its lid then opens, and a force field
draws the ghost inside. When the ghost is captured the trap emits smoke and a strong, bad smell. Characters are advised to refrain from looking directly at the trap when it is activated. The ghost can then be transported to the larger, more permanent containment unit. More than one ghost can be stored in a trap, but has never been established how many or for how long a ghost can be held. It has also been suggested that a captured ghost can be released by a Ghostbuster from the ghost trap voluntarily by opening it again. This was not explicitly shown in the movies, but the animated series showed this to be true several times. The Real Ghostbusters animated series also expanded on the ghost trap greatly, showing that more powerful ghosts must be quickly sent to the containment unit or they may break free of the trap and that if more than one ghost is caught in the trap at once, they merge into a single entity and cannot be divided, although later in the series several ghosts are shown to still be separate when released from the trap (It must be said, when Spengler said that, two ghost were bitting each other. So he could mean when two ghost are caught while touching) In the "Real Ghostbusters" episode "Bustman's Holiday" the team converted a dump truck into a giant "ecto trap" in order to capture a massive being, which was also done in the Extreme Ghostbusters
episode "Back in the Saddle". In the 2009 video game, the Ecto-1b is equipped with a large Ecto Trap on top of it called the Super Slammer.
The Ecto-Containment Unit, also referred to as the "Containment System", is the large containment facility in the basement of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. It was developed after Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantz made their first actual contact in the basement of the New York Public Library
with the ghost
of its librarian Eleanor Twitty, who is referred by them as the "Gray Lady". According to data from that experience they theorize that if, in addition to their other data, a ghost's ionization rate remains constant they could capture and hold it indefinitely. This idea makes the Ghostbuster business possible. All captured ghosts are stored in this containment unit. The unit itself utilizes a high-voltage grid of lasers to do its job, and said grid can be theoretically effected by the amount of ghosts stored in the system, as illustrated when Peter asks "How is the grid holding up"? Turning off the protection grid without following proper procedures will result in a catastrophic and explosive release of all extoplasmic entities and psycho-kinetic energy stored in the unit, as illustrated when Walter Peck turned off the grid. The containment unit has an easy-access slot, into which is placed a full ghost trap; the user presses two buttons, the first to set the entry grid and the second to neutralise the field, and then pulls a lever which causes the ghost to be pumped from the trap into the unit's containment field. After completing these steps, a green light attached to the containment system briefly activates, denoting a successful containment. Thus the rule: "When the light is green, the trap is clean."
The containment system seen in the cartoon is radically different from the one found in the original movie Ghostbusters
(Though the hatch in both versions is nearly if not completely identical). In the movie, the device is simply installed into a cramped basement area of the old firehouse, built into the concrete wall. However, in the cartoon, the basement is a sprawling, two-story, warehouse-like space, with the large, red, cylindrical containment unit given new prominence. The reason given in the cartoon series for these changes is that improvements were made to prevent any further complications like those which occur in the movie, such as the system reaching maximum capacity, or United States Environmental Protection Agency lackey Walter Peck's ordering the system powered down, which would result in releasing all contained ghosts into New York City. To this end, the basement of the Ghostbusters
' headquarters is expanded, and the containment unit upgraded in size and technology, with a back-up power
source to prevent sudden shut-downs. In addition to the battery back-up, one episode shows that the Ghostbusters resort to a bicycle attached to an electrical generator during a serious power loss while they struggled to restore power. However, this is shown as a last-ditch effort and is not used as the primary back-up. Furthermore, in the TV series, the Ghostbusters also work at developing more permanent disposal solutions such as dimensional portals where ghosts could be deposited in other planes
of reality
. During one episode of Extreme Ghostbusters- "Slimer's Sacrifice"- it was shown that the containment unit's interior has developed into its own miniature dimension filled with all the ghosts the Ghostbusters have captured, which a human can only enter through a specially-designed 'airlock' while wearing a diving suit to protect them from the atmosphere.
Miller-Meteor limo-style endloader combination car
(ambulance conversion) used in the 1984 film Ghostbusters and other Ghostbusters fiction.
In the original movie, this vehicle was purchased by Ray Stantz for the relatively high price of $4800 (over $9800 in 2009 dollars when scaled up for inflation) in a poor state of repair. In Stantz' own words, it needed "suspension
work and shocks, brakes
, brake pads
, lining, steering box, transmission
, rear end..., new rings, muffler
s, a little wiring...." It is assumed that Ray continues listing needed repairs after this scene cuts away.
After the necessary reconstruction, it was used to carry the team's ghost-capturing equipment, as well as transporting the Ghostbusters through New York City. It has a distinctive siren wail. Its features include a special pull-out rack in the rear containing the staff's proton pack
s, which facilitates a quick retrieval without the complication of having to reach into the vehicle's rear. There are also various gadgets mounted on the top, whose function is never revealed in the movies. A cartoon episode featured the "proton cannon", presumably a more powerful version of a proton pack, mounted on top for use against extra large or even giant sized paranormal entities. The book "Making Ghostbusters" by Don Shay describes a deleted scene where a police officer places a ticket on the Ectomobile only to have it instantly burn to ashes.
Earlier versions of scripts written by Dan Aykroyd
for the first Ghostbusters also included mentions of the Ectomobile having the power of interdimensional travel. The shooting script for the movie described the Ectomobile as being black, with purple and white strobe lights that gave the vehicle a "purple aura".
A miniature replica of the vehicle was mass-produced as a children's toy. The toy version of this vehicle has sold approx. 1,000,000+ units worldwide. Polar Lights released a 1/24 scale model kit of the Ecto-1 in 2002. In 2010, Hot Wheels
released a "Ghostbusters Ecto-1" as part of the "2010 Hot Wheels Premiere" series.
In 2010, the Ecto-1 makes a brief appearance in the commercial for Sony's new panoramic digital camera line.
Throughout other Ghostbusters fiction, a number of other Ectomobiles were introduced.
The Ectomobile is named on-screen through the introduction of its finished form (presumably once Ray was done with repairs) with the license plate shown reading "Ecto-1". The word "Ectomobile" was only used in the song "Cleaning Up The Town" from the film's soundtrack. Originally the filmmakers planned to have the Ecto-1 be painted black. The color of the vehicle was later changed to white when it was decided a black car would be too difficult to see during night scenes. The Ectomobile was originally going to be a much more high tech vehicle, with an almost artificial intelligence. Three cars have played the vehicle in the movies; the third 1959 Miller-Meteor was purchased after the second died during shooting of Ghostbusters II. The black Miller-Meteor seen at the beginning of the first movie was leased and used only for that scene and never converted for filming, though it was later purchased by the studio and completely converted to a full Ecto-1 for touring. Ecto-1A was originally scripted as the Ecto-2, and one reference to this remains in the movie. When Bill Murray
as Dr. Peter Venkman
is standing outside of his apartment and the car pulls up, the phrase Ecto-2 is visible on the license plate. Both Ectomobiles are currently sitting in a Sony pictures backlot having recently undergone a full restoration after years of deterioration, Universal Studios
"Spooktackular" stage show featured a replica built by Universal which was purchased by a gentleman from Tennessee and is currently being restored to movie correct condition as well. Currently an Ecto-1 replica is held for sale at about $150,000. This is not the original car, but a replica made by George Barris
. George Barris actually had nothing to do with the original cars, but has claimed credit to designing and building them. Another replica currently resides at Historic Auto Attractions
museum in Roscoe, Illinois
. The original was the creation of Steven Dane, credited as a Hardware Consultant in the credits. At one point there was a Ghostbusters video game in development which featured a more modern version of the Ectomobile, based on a stretched Chrysler 300C. At the announcement held at Best Buy HQ the fully restored Ecto-1 made an appearance.
The Universal Studios Ecto-1 Replica was sold at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Scottsdale Arizona on January 22, 2010 for $80,000.
in both the live action films, and was voiced in the animated series first by the late Lorenzo Music
and then by Dave Coulier
. Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology
on the team, though he also holds a Ph.D. in psychology
. In the movies, he is characterized by his flippant persona, his lackadaisical approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". He is never officially referred to as the leader of the team but is usually the one to decide what paranormal events are worth their attention and will also make decisions in the field.
episodes "It's About Time" and "Citizen Ghost") is a member of the Ghostbusters. He was played by Dan Aykroyd
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and was voiced by Frank Welker
in the animated
television series The Real Ghostbusters
. He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology
on the team, along with Dr. Peter Venkman
and Dr. Egon Spengler
, Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his forthright acceptance of paranormal activity.
on the team. Egon is portrayed by Harold Ramis
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and voiced by Maurice LaMarche
in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters
. He is the only voice actor to remain for the entirety of both series. Before the movie was released, American Cinematographer described Egon as "maniacal" based on reading the script. Ramis credits the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been a director and writer.
in both movies and voiced the character in the 2009 video game, and was voiced by Arsenio Hall
in the first season of The Real Ghostbusters
. Buster Jones
provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters
; Hudson reportedly auditioned to reprise the role of Winston for the animated series, but he was rejected in favor of Hall. Winston is a Ghostbuster, but unlike the other members of the team, he is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal. The novelization mentions that he was in the Marines. He is hired later in the company's existence when their business begins to pick up. However, despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as the 'everyman
' of the team, acting as a voice of reason and displays far more common sense than the other Ghostbusters. However, in the Ghostbusters video game (2009), Winston claims to have spent much time in the Egypt exhibit at the museum while in college, suggesting that he may have some experience in anthropology or a related science.
. Dana is singled out early for unwelcome paranormal attention by the movie's main villain and seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after seeing their advertisement on television. She promptly attracts the romantic attention of Venkman whose flippant behavior causes her to apparently become somewhat skeptical of the Ghostbusters and of her decision to seek aid from them. Dana is portrayed by Sigourney Weaver
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. In the sequel, she is a divorced mother of an eight month old boy named Oscar. It is immediately made clear that Venkman is neither the ex-husband nor the boy's father. At the time of this movie, Dana is working as a restorationist at a museum. By leading to her infant son becoming the target of a supernatural force, this job becomes the vehicle by which the Ghostbusters re-enter her life and come into contact with the movie's main villain. She does not appear in any other Ghostbusters media though she is briefly mentioned in the 2009 video game.
in both movies, and was voiced by Laura Summer
and Kath Soucie
in The Real Ghostbusters and Pat Musick
in Extreme Ghostbusters. Over time, the Ghostbusters have come to count on Janine, not only for her work as a secretary keeping the business afloat, but also for help against ghosts. On numerous occasions, Janine has been forced to take up a 'busters uniform and proton pack to bail the guys out of trouble.
in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and voiced by Rodger Bumpass
in the Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters animated series. Along with Dana, he is possessed by the two demons (the two Terror Dogs known as Zuul and Vinz Clortho) who open the interdimensional gate to bring Gozer to Earth in the first Ghostbusters film. In Ghostbusters II he is revealed to have earned a law degree at night school, representing the Ghostbusters at their trial and taking up permanent employment with them when they reestablish their business. He later borrows one of Spengler's Ghostbuster jumpsuit and a proton pack to (attempt to) help defeat the evil ghost of Vigo the Carpathian. After the release of Ghostbusters II, Louis became a semi-regular character on Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters as the Ghostbusters' legal and financial adviser. Though Louis does not appear in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, he is mentioned passingly and apparently still works mainly as the Ghostbusters' accountant. Ghostbusters, like many films on which Moranis has worked, had him improvising some of his lines.
featured in the Ghostbusters movie (as well as its 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II), whose popularity soared from the subsequent spin-off
animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a one-hour format. Slimer also appeared as a representative of The Real Ghostbusters in the animated anti-drug television special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
. In the first movie, Slimer was voiced by the film's director Ivan Reitman
, while Frank Welker
voiced the green ghost in The Real Ghostbusters. In the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, Robin Shelby performed Slimer and Ivan Reitman again voiced Slimer but most of the footage shot ended up on the cutting room floor. In the late 1990s cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters, Slimer's voice was provided by Billy West.
Slimer is a translucent green blob creature
, with two skinny arms, no feet, and several chins. Slimer’s personality is one of tremendous gluttony
, and he is referred to as a “disgusting blob”. In his original appearance he is not named and is portrayed as an enemy of the Ghostbusters, being a typical antagonistic ghost and the first whom the Ghostbusters catch. In the cartoon, he is known as Slimer, is able to speak, and demonstrates a child’s intelligence
and an intense loyalty to Ray and the Ghostbusters; on one occasion he even allowed himself to be trapped in the containment unit where the Ghostbusters store the captured ghosts after he unintentionally damaged it, forcing new teammember Eduardo to save him from the various ghosts who would have tortured him to gain vengeance on the Ghostbusters for his role in helping their captors.
Dan Aykroyd
reportedly referred to Slimer as "The Ghost of John Belushi
". In the script for Ghostbusters, Slimer is never called by any name, but is described as a "focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm or a class 5 full roaming vapor.
". The creature's original title was "The Onionhead Ghost", which the film crew dubbed him for the horrible odor he used to scare a couple in a scene cut from the original movie. Audiences called him Slimer for the scene in which he covers Peter Venkman
with slimy ectoplasm, causing the latter to state, "He slimed me". This name later appears in the credits of Ghostbusters II
. When the cartoon series was produced, in response to that name given to the character by audiences, the writers renamed the green ghost "Slimer", and the name stuck on all subsequent Ghostbusters properties, although he was identified as "Mean Green Ghost" early in the related toy line. The episode "Citizen Ghost" of the Real Ghostbusters shows that it was Ray who gave Slimer his name, and Venkman regularly calls Slimer by the nickname "Spud". In the Real Ghostbusters episode 'Hanging by a thread' Peter Venkman
classified Slimer as, ‘an Australian aboriginal meat eating ghost cat’.
Slimer was also notably the mascot for the Hi-C flavor "Ecto Cooler", which came out shortly after The Real Ghostbusters, and was colored green. Slimer remained on the box well after the Real Ghostbusters was cancelled; but in 1997 the drink was renamed "Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen", and Slimer was removed. Slimer also had a toothpaste called "Slimer" Toothpaste. SLIMER! was briefly published by NOW Comics
, a now-defunct Chicago firm. Artists included Mitch O'Connell and Mark Braun. Writers included Larry Parr who also wrote for the animated series.
In the Marvel UK comics of the Real Ghostbusters, Slimer had his own half-page sketch, in which Slimer's past life was covered; he was originally called King Remils, a greedy, obese monarch
who had died of heart failure.
According to the "Fear Itself" episode of Extreme Ghostbusters
, Slimer's greatest fear is broccoli
, because they make him vomit.
Slimer is present in the 2009 Ghostbusters game, being the sole ghost not living in the containment unit, having his own ghost cage near Janine's reception desk until a large-scale PKE shockwave ripples through the city and frees him, again, as he goes down to the containment unit, an attempt to catch him accidentally freeing the Sloth Ghost. After escaping the Ghostbusters building, Slimer returns to the Sedgewick Hotel that he originally haunted only to be re-captured again. In the game, it is revealed that the Ghostbusters' are keeping him as a pet. Slimer also appears in the mutiplayer jobs, along with variations of him exclusive to the mutiplayer, such as "Rotten Slimer", "Wee Slimer". "Polar Slimer", and "Glutton Slimer".
Troy Baker
voices Slimer, though with the sound effects used in the first movie.
and an architect
of some renown during the early 20th century, with a penchant for performing macabre and unnecessary surgeries. The aftermath of the first World War convinced Shandor that humanity was beyond saving and set up a cult of Gozer worshipers in the 1920s with his ancestral island home on the Hudson River as the center of it. Numbering nearly 1,000 before he died, and using his connections to International Steel's chairman and other corrupt company owners, Shandor designed 55 Central Park West
as a means to summon Gozer to bring about the end of the world
. To ensure it, Shandor also developed a mandala
across the city with the New York Public Library
, the Museum of Natural History
, the Sedgewick Hotel, and Shandor Island (before it sank) as key nodes which are protected by his most loyal followers: Azetlor the Collector, the Museum Chairman, the Spiderwitch, and the slor which generated a steady stream of black slime which he used to power his island lab to generate the Psychomagnotheric Slime commonly known as "Mood slime" and the Mandala system. As a byproduct of his work, numerous ghosts manifest in these five areas and became active throughout the city while the Mood Slime is produced within the bowels of Shandor Island refined from the extremely dangerous and caustically evil Black Slime. These marvels, in spite of their purpose, made Shandor a genius beyond his time.
Shandor's original scheme came to fruition, during the events of the first film, in the 1980s, when the sufficient energy collected cause Gozer's minions to physically manifest in preparation for their master's coming. Unfortunately, the Ghostbusters foiled Gozer's entry and neutralized it. As revealed in the game, Shandor was responsible for the events of Ghostbusters II, as the slime produced on his island found its way into the city sewer system, causing a wave of ghosts to surface as well as strengthening the spirit of Vigo the Carpathian. Shandor finally made an appearance in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. By 1991, Shandor possessed the body of Mayor Jack Mulligan and made Peck head of PCOC to hinder the Ghostbusters while he used his only living descendant, Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn, to invoke the nodes of his mandala. When Ilyssa was first at the museum, a powerful wave of psychic energy was released from the Gozer exhibit and washed over the city, activating the mandala and reviving Gozer in the form of Stay Puft again. At first, Shandor's plan was to use the mandala and Ilyssa's blood to generate a new, more powerful destructor form for Gozer. However, after once again being defeated by the Ghostbusters and failing to capture Ilyssa, Shandor became further disillusioned by the being he once worshiped, and decided to use the mandala to merge the Ghost World with the real world in order to become a god himself and remake the world in his image. However, after the Ghostbusters discover the correlation between the museum, the library, and the hotel, they realize the truth and shut down the mandala nodes before he can gain enough energy for his transformation. While the Ghostbusters are on his island, Shandor attacks the firehouse, shuts down the Containment Unit and releases all the ghosts the Ghostbusters had previously captured to gain the remaining energy he needs, and kidnaps Ilyssa and Peck and takes them to his mausoleum to prepare for the ritual. Once the Ghostbusters arrived and learn the truth, they exorcise Shandor from the mayor and wrangle him through a portal to the Ghost World, only to have him pull them in with him. There, he assumes his Destructor form, a bizarre bearded demonic entity called "The Architect", and plans to rebuild the world in his own image and destroy humanity. After a tough battle with him, the Ghostbusters destroy Ivo Shandor once and for all by crossing the streams, ending the mad architect's evil deeds.
god
who is the primary antagonist of the first film. As the game sequel covered, cults worshipping Gozer and his minions arose around 6000 B.C before being banished from this dimension by the Babylonian god Tiamat
following a protracted conflict with its followers. Entering into any given dimension, Gozer uses the thoughts of those who witness his arrival to assume a fixed form within that plane of existence. Gozer's arrival set in motion in the 1920s by the actions of Ivo Shandor and come to fruition in 1984 when his minions Zuul and Vinz Clortho enter through, possessing suitable human hosts to open the portal on top of the building for their master to enter. Though originally in the form of a woman, Gozer uses Ray's accidental thought to assume the form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man before being conquered.
whom director Ivan Reitman
met filming his previous movie, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
. According to Sam Delaney of The Guardian
, "Stay Puft's familiar mascot combined elements of real life brand ambassadors Bibendum
(aka the Michelin tire man) and the Pillsbury Dough Boy
." The costume was created by Bill Bryan using miniatures, optical compositing and Bryan himself in a latex suit.
of Carpathia
who was self-described as the “Scourge of Carpathia” and “the Sorrow of Moldavia
”. He described in his tyranny that "On a mountain of skulls and in a castle of pain, [he] sat on a throne of blood". An apparent expert in sorcery and black magic, Vigo enjoyed an unnaturally long life which came to an equally unnatural end when he was poisoned, stabbed, shot, hanged, stretched, disemboweled, drawn and quartered by his own people before he was decapitated, vowing to live again. (A sequence of events not dissimilar from the legends surrounding the death of Rasputin.)
Vigo's spirit was eventually transferred by unknown means into a large life size portrait which had made its way to the restoration department of the Manhattan Museum of Art by 1989, the setting for the Ghostbusters II
movie. Using the psychomagnatheric "mood slime" to become active, Vigo manipulates the art gallery's curator, Dr. Janosz Poha, to find him a child whose body he can inhabit and thus regain physical form upon the approaching New Year. With such a child brought to him, Dana's son Oscar, the plan was ultimately foiled by the Ghostbusters. Making a last ditch effort by possessing Ray, it took a combination of proton streams and Slime Blowers to force Vigo out of Ray and be defeated with his painting altered into a likeness of the four Ghostbusters surrounding Oscar protectively.
In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, it's revealed that the portrait of Vigo has since been stored in the Ghostbusters' firehouse on the first floor (in the basement in the Stylized Version). Though he's no longer a threat, Vigo enjoys insulting and taunt anybody who gets close enough to him. He along with his taunts he makes cryptic predictions (all of which pretain to recent 21st Century events as the game is set in 1991), such as the Star Wars
movie prequels not living up to the undisputed glory of the original trilogy, the Bush administration (whom Vigo considers more evil than himself), and increased gas prices.
She returns in the 2009 video game, where much of her history is revealed and the Ghostbusters uncover the tragic story of her death. She was once Dr. Eleanor Twitty, the head librarian of the NYC Public Library in the 1920s and overseer of its collection of ancient artifacts, stone tablets, long-forgotten tombs, and rare books. In March 1924, she went missing and the NYPD made every effort to find her, but she was never found alive. The police eventually discovered that she had been murdered by philologist Edmund Hoover, AKA "The Collector", who seduced her to get to the rare books in her care, specifically the "Gozerian Codex". Eventually Twitty realized his true motives and dumped him. Hoover killed Eleanor in a hidden room in the basement of the Library and went on to become a serial killer (Eleanor was his first) who collected the bodies of his victims, as well as a member of Ivo Shandor's Cult of Gozer. Hoover was hanged for his crimes but swore to come back as the Gozerian demigod, "Azetlor" while Twitty was memorialized as a dedicated librarian who gave her life to protect the book she so dearly loved. Winston discovers this information while Ray, Egon, and the player are hunting Twitty's ghost. The three finally corner her in the very room she was killed. There they witness her reading the Gozerian Codex, when a ghostly hand springs out of the pages, grabs her face, and wildly thrashes her about the room (possibly indicating this is how the Collector killed her). When the thrashing stops, she quickly recovers and resumes reading the Codex. She allows the player to take the book and fades away, causing Ray to believe she had crossed over. However she returns and transforms into her scary form and forces the three Ghostbusters to trap her. After trapping her, Ray and Egon feel that catching her was too easy and conclude she wanted them to have the Codex and she fought with them so they would use their equipment in the room, resulting in generation of a cross-dimensional portal to the Gozerian Dimension where the demigod Azetlor inhabits. Apparently even in death, she had continued protecting the Gozerian Codex from the demigod Azetlor in the afterlife. Though her true motives are unknown, it would seem she was aware of Shandor's mandala (as Shandor had done renovations to the library and Azetlor being the library node's guardian) and lead the Ghostbusters to the Codex and to Azetlor to defeat him in order to make them aware of the existence of Shandor's Mandala. It is also possible that in the first movie, Twitty's ecounter with the Ghostbusters was no accident, since were it not for their encounter with her, they would not be in a position to stop Gozer as they did in the movie.
The building that was Dana Barrett's apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as the Ghostbusters Building
. The building used in the movie
has become a real-world New York City tourist attraction.
In May 2010, the group Improv Everywhere, at the invitation of the New York Public Library, staged a "Ghostbusters" themed "mission" in the same reading room used in the film.
The video game Burnout Paradise
pays homage to the franchise with a car titled the 'Manhattan Spirit', which is based on the Ecto-1.
The movie Be Kind Rewind
includes an extensive sequence in which Jack Black
, Mos Def
and others recreate the first Ghostbusters movie using props and costumes made by themselves, including Christmas tree tinsel as the streams from their proton packs, and a version of the theme sung by Jack Black. Sigourney Weaver
also makes an appearance. In the movie Casper
, Dan Aykroyd
reprises his role of Ray Stantz in a brief cameo. Upon exiting the Harveys' haunted mansion, he says "Who you gonna call? Someone else!", a reference to the film's
catchphrase. That scene was later reprised in the nineties adaptation of the Casper cartoon series where Casper in one episode is wondering why all the colors were disappearing (There was a bottle of paint thinner leaking onto the film) Casper went "This is really spookie, who am I gonna call?" at which two guys in Ghostbusters uniforms appeared and went "Somebody else!"
The film's catchphrase was used in the Doctor Who
episode "Army of Ghosts
" as the Doctor emerged from beneath the TARDIS console wearing a device that loosely resembled a proton pack shouting "Who ya' gonna call?" Rose immediately responded with "Ghostbusters!", prompting the Doctor's "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!". The line was also used in the Fringe
episode "The Road Not Taken
" when Peter Bishop
, passing by his father, says: "If there's something strange in your neighborhood...", and then Dr. Walter Bishop
added: "Who you gotta call?". It was also used in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Spike asked "who ya' gonna call?" he then paused for a couple seconds and said "that line's never going to be usable again, is it?".
The TV series Supernatural
also references the film in the episode "Ghostfacers". In the episode Sam and Dean come across two paranormal investigators named Harry Spangler And Ed Zeddmore, both of which are references to the characters Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore.
A series of short films sponsored by car company Volkswagen
entitled "See Film Differently" includes one offering a humorous look at "A Day In The Life At The Ghostbusters Fire Station."
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
multi-media franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
created in 1984. Its inception was for the movie Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. It centered around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s for a living. For the movie this franchise licensed action figures, novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s, and other original materials to be produced around the movies' theme. After this initial success they released original stories in other fields such as a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, a video game, a television series, and a theme park attraction. With the 2009 release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios...
the characters within the Ghostbusters universe set up their own fictional version of a Ghostbusters franchise to open Ghostbusters locations in other cities, which in real life was earlier seen in two independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s not officially approved by Columbia Pictures.
Development
The concept of the first film was inspired by Dan AykroydDan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
's own fascination with the paranormal, and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
alum John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
. Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
in the American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghostchasers. Aykroyd thought, "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually."
The original story as written by Aykroyd was much more ambitious—and unfocused—than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
-like outfits and used wands instead of Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
s show them wearing riot squad
Riot Squad
Riot Squad were a second-wave punk rock band from Mansfield, England, initially active between 1981 and 1984.-History:Riot Squad formed in 1981, with an initial line-up of Duncan "Dunk" Mason , Nigel "Nello" Nelson , and Paul "Pommi" Palmer , Nelson the only one of the three with any musical...
–type helmets with movable transparent visor
Visor
A visor is a surface that protects the eyes, such as shading them from the sun or other bright light or protecting them from objects....
s. The original draft of the script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
.
Aykroyd pitched his story to director/producer Ivan Reitman, who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion, the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the final screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
which Aykroyd and Harold Ramis hammered out over the course of a few months in a Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...
, according to Ramis on the DVD commentary track for the movie. Aykroyd and Ramis initially wrote the script with roles written especially for Belushi, Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
and John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
. However, Belushi died due to a drug overdose during the writing of the screenplay, and neither Murphy nor Candy could commit to the movie due to prior engagements, so Aykroyd and Ramis shifted some of these changes around and polished a basic, yet sci-fi oriented screenplay for their final draft.
In addition to Aykroyd's high-concept basic premise and Ramis' skill at grounding the fantastic elements with a realistic setting, the film benefits from Bill Murray's semi-improvisational performance as Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
, the character initially intended for Belushi. The extent of Murray's improvisation while delivering his lines varies wildly with every re-telling of the making of the film; some say he never even read the script, and improvised so much he deserves a writing credit, while others insist that he only improvised a few lines, and used his deadpan comic delivery to make scripted lines seem spontaneous.
With the first DVD release of the film on the 15th anniversary of the original theatrical release, many original concepts of the film were revealed, based on the storyboard artwork: Louis Tully was originally to be a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
man in a business suit played by comedian John Candy, but Candy was unable to commit to the role. The role was taken by Rick Moranis, portraying Louis as a geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
. Gozer was originally going to appear in the form of Ivo Shandor as a slender, unremarkable man in a suit played by Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
. In the end, the role was played by Yugoslavian model Slavitza Jovan
Slavitza Jovan
Slavitza Jovan is a former Serbian model known for her appearance as the deity Gozer in the 1984 film Ghostbusters. She also made an appearance, fifteen years later, in House on Haunted Hill.-External links:*...
, whose Eastern European accent was later dubbed by Paddi Edwards
Paddi Edwards
Paddi Edwards was an English-American actress. Born Paddy Edwards, she worked steadily in film...
.
Winston Zeddemore
Winston Zeddemore
Winston Zeddemore is a fictional character appearing in the Ghostbusters films, TV series, and video games. He was played by Ernie Hudson in both movies and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first two seasons of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons,...
was written with Eddie Murphy in mind, but he had to decline the role as he was filming Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
at the same time. When Murphy had the role, Zeddemore was going to be hired much earlier in the film, and would accompany the trio on their hunt for Slimer
Slimer
Slimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters , whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a...
at the hotel and be slimed in place of Peter Venkman. When Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
took over, it was decided that he be brought in later to indicate how the Ghostbusters were struggling to keep up with the outbreak of ghosts.
In order to properly light the set for Gozer's temple and create the physical effects for the set, other stages needed to be shut down and all their power diverted over to the set. The hallway sets for the Sedgewick Hotel were originally built for the movie Rich and Famous
Rich and Famous (1981 film)
Rich and Famous is a 1981 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Gerald Ayres is based on the 1941 play Old Acquaintance by John Van Druten, which was filmed with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins in 1943 under its original title. Both film versions are now owned by Turner...
in 1981 and patterned after the Algonquin Hotel
Algonquin Hotel
The Algonquin Hotel is a historic hotel located at 59 West 44th Street in Manhattan . The hotel has been designated as a New York City Historic Landmark....
in New York City, where Reitman originally wanted to do the hotel bust. The Biltmore Hotel
New York Biltmore Hotel
The New York Biltmore Hotel was a luxury hotel in New York City. It was one of three palatial hotels built as part of the Terminal City development...
was chosen because the large lobby allowed for a tracking shot
Tracking shot
In motion picture terminology, a tracking shot is a segment in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly, a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken...
of the Ghostbusters in complete gear for the first time. Dana Barrett and Louis Tully's apartments were constructed across two stages and were actually on the other side of their doors in the hallway, an unusual move in filmmaking.
A problem arose during filming when it was discovered that a show was produced in 1975 by Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
called The Ghost Busters
The Ghost Busters
The Ghost Busters was a live-action children's television series that ran from 1975, about a team of bumbling detectives who would investigate ghostly occurrences. Only 15 episodes were created....
. (This show's title is written as two words like the 1984 movie instead of one word like its poster and promotional materials.) Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
prepared a list of alternative names in the event the rights could not be secured, but during the filming of the crowd for the final battle, the extras were all chanting "Ghostbusters", which inspired the producers to insist that the studio buy the rights to the name. For the test screening of Ghostbusters, half of the ghost effects were missing, not yet having been completed by the production team. The audience response was still enthusiastic, and the ghost elements were completed for the official theatrical release shortly thereafter.
Ghostbusters
GhostbustersGhostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
is the first movie in the series. It is a 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
sci-fi
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists. After they are fired from a university, they start their own business investigating and capturing ghosts. It was released in the United States on June 8, 1984, starring Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
, Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
, Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
, Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
, Annie Potts
Annie Potts
Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
, and Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
. The film grossed approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
240 million in the U.S. and over $50 million abroad during its theatrical run, more than the domestic gross of the second Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
installment, making it the most successful film in America that year (after re-releases), and one of the most successful comedies of the 1980s. The American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
ranked it 28th in its list of the top 100 comedies of all time (in their 100 Years...100 Laughs
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs
Part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs is a list of the top 100 funniest movies in American cinema. A wide variety of comedies were nominated for the distinction that included slapstick comedy, screwball comedy, romantic comedy, satire, black comedy, musical comedy, comedy of...
list). In 2005, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever. In 2006, Bravo (US TV channel) ranked Ghostbusters number 76 on their 100 Funniest Movies list.
Ghostbusters II
The second movie, Ghostbusters IIGhostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
, was released in 1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
. After the success of the first film and the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
pressured the producers to make a sequel. However, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
were uncomfortable with this as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. Reportedly, some of the cast and crew were ultimately dissatisfied with the film as well as its box office reception.
False starts
During the 1990s, Aykroyd wrote a script for a potential third film in the series. The concept reportedly had the characters transported to an alternate version
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
of Manhattan called Manhellton, where the people and places are hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
ish versions of their originals and they meet the devil (a modified version of this script was later used in Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios...
). At the time, Aykroyd stated that the studio was interested, though the principal actors were not. It featured a new, younger group of Ghostbusters while characters Ray, Egon, and Winston (who is referred to as Dr. Zeddemore) struggle to keep the business going after Peter leaves to be with Dana. In reviewing the proposed script, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated that the new Ghostbusters were "practically interchangeable," lacked personality conflicts, and were not "especially funny or charming." It also found the script to be too full of technobabble, and Venkman's appearance at the end is noted to be the "best gag" in the script.
Over the years, various rumors have floated around about the film, including reports stating that Murray was the only original Ghostbuster not interested as he disliked sequels, and that Ramis wanted Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
to join the cast.
During a 2009 interview, Ramis stated that the project had stalled due to lack of interest and motivation to do it. Both Ramis and Aykroyd subsequently confirmed that the script would call for a new group of younger Ghostbusters taking the lead, with Aykroyd stating, "There’ll be a whole new generation that has to be trained and a leader that you'll all love when you meet her. There'll be lots of cadets, boys and girls who'll be learning how to use the neuron splitter and the inter-planet interceptor—new tools to enable them to slip from dimension to dimension." Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
has not stated whether he would or would not be a part of the sequel as he has (apparently) retired from acting. Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
said she expected to return alongside all the other original cast.
Director confirmed
On January 13, 2010, Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
confirmed that he will be directing the film. In March 2010, Bill Murray appeared on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
and talked about his potential return to Ghostbusters III, stating "I'd do it only if my character was killed off in the first reel." In an interview with Coming Soon
CraveOnline
CraveOnline is a male lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company AtomicOnline, the publishing division of Evolve Media Corp.- History :...
, Murray said: "You know, maybe I should just do it. Maybe it'd be fun to do." In May 2010, Aykroyd said a release is set for Christmas 2012. Later, in the October 2010 issue of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Aykroyd gave an update on the status of the Ghostbusters 3 script, written by Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky is a film and television writer. He usually works with Lee Eisenberg.In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Eisenberg, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "The Lover"...
and Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg is a film and television writer. He usually works with Gene Stupnitsky.-Life and career:In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Stupnitsky, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and...
, writer-producers of The Office: "I’m working on the script now and those two—Stupnitsky and Eisenberg, wrote Bill the comic role of a lifetime, and the new Ghostbusters and the old are all well represented in it...we have a strong first draft that Harold [Ramis] and I will take back, and I’m very excited about working on it." Shortly after that interview, at the Spike TV Scream Awards, Bill Murray appeared on the show to accept an award for Zombieland
Zombieland
Zombieland is a 2009 American zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a zombie apocalypse...
. He arrived on stage in full Ghostbusters gear, but gave no statements regarding the film.
Script approved
On October 14, 2010 Stefano Paganini, one of Sony's product marketing managers, appeared at a Ghostbusters event in Rome and said "I spoke about this tonight with my boss from Los Angeles. She allowed me to let you know that the script of Ghostbusters 3 has been approved so the engine has been turned on!" The official press release has yet to be issued, but is expected within Q1 2012.
As of March 14, 2011, the project continues to move forward, slowly, with the main holdup still being Bill Murray. He reportedly had received the script, but has yet to read it.
Casting decisions
On August 25, 2011, Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
confirmed to Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
on The Dennis Miller Show that Ghostbusters 3 was moving forward and planned to shoot in Spring 2012 with or without the involvement of Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
. "Yes, we will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray," he says, "That is our hope. We have an excellent script. What we have to remember is that 'Ghostbusters' is bigger than any one component, although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributive to it in a massive way, as was the director and Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
, myself and Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
. The concept is much larger than any individual role and the promise of Ghostbusters 3 is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood." He also revealed minor details for Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
' Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...
and his character Ray Stantz's current statuses. "My character, Ray, is now blind in one eye and can't drive the Cadillac," he says, "He's got a bad knee and can't carry the packs... Egon is too large to get into the harness. We need young blood and that's the promise. We're gonna hand it to a new generation." One of the prospective Ghostbusters that Aykroyd has his eye on is Matthew Gray Gubler
Matthew Gray Gubler
Matthew Gray Gubler is an American actor, film director, sketch artist, and former fashion model. He is best known for his role as the young genius Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds, of which he has also directed two episodes...
. "I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler
Matthew Gray Gubler
Matthew Gray Gubler is an American actor, film director, sketch artist, and former fashion model. He is best known for his role as the young genius Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds, of which he has also directed two episodes...
from the Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
show," he adds, "But there's going to be a casting. We're going to see everyone that wants to do it. We're going to need... three guys and a young woman."
On September 15, John Hodgman
John Hodgman
John Kellogg Hodgman is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All, he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in...
hinted about his possible involvement with the third Ghostbusters movie on The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling
The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling
The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling is a combination music, call-in, and comedy radio show hosted by Tom Scharpling on New Jersey-based radio station WFMU. The show's slogan is "Three hours of mirth, music, and mayhem."...
after stating he had been running some "secret" errands for Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
lately. It was hinted that Hodgman was offered the role of Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...
's deadbeat son. "If you were hypothetically offered a role in Ghostbusters 3... would you take the role? Let's say you're [playing] sort of the dissolute son of Egon, the Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
character, and you're kind of like John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
in Splash, you're kind of a mess. But it turns out you're a natural ghost-whisperer, a natural psychic." Hodgman also insinuated that Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
was in fact the main hold up with the film and did not want a new cast or film to be made without his involvement. "But here's the thing: Bill Murray's not going to be in this movie, and probably not happy that you are. But you get to be in a major role, in a major movie and one of the greatest franchises of all time. Would you do it?" Hodgman later announced on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that his statements were merely "a radio joke".
The Real Ghostbusters
From 1986 to 1991, Columbia Pictures TelevisionColumbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
and DiC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
produced an animated spin-off television series that is non-canon to the original film, entitled The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
. "The Real" was added to the title over a dispute with Filmation and its Ghostbusters properties
Ghostbusters (1986 TV series)
Ghostbusters was an animated television series created by Filmation and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting and launched following the success of Ivan Reitman and Columbia Pictures' 1984 film Ghostbusters. It ran from September 8 to December 5, 1986 in daytime syndication and produced 65 episodes...
. The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Dr. Ray Stantz, their secretary Janine Melnitz, and their mascot ghost Slimer. The Real Ghostbusters was nominated for an Emmy.
When the show's producers began to see the youth appeal of the character Slimer, he began to be featured more prominently. (He also made a cameo in Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
eating out of a lunch box as if he lived in the fire house in the film as he did in the animated series. He was also seen driving a bus and ultimately helped Louis Tully reach the Manhattan Museum of Art to help the rest of the Ghostbusters.) In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. The show now featured an hourlong format with a typical Real Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly Slimer! cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Real Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten the growing fanbase of young children. Additionally, the characterizations became more one-dimensional, and the animation became less detailed. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of writer J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
. Dave Coulier
Dave Coulier
David Alan "Dave" Coulier is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, television and voice actor, and television host. He is well-known for his role as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995....
of Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
fame came on to fill the role of Peter (voiced by Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music was an American actor, voice actor, writer, television producer and musician. His best-known roles include voicing the animated cartoon cat Garfield, and Carlton the doorman on the CBS sitcom Rhoda...
), Buster Jones
Buster Jones
Edward L. "Buster" Jones is an American voice actor.He is probably best known from his roles as Black Vulcan in Super Friends, Blaster in The Transformers, Doc in G.I...
took over Winston from Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
and Kath Soucie
Kath Soucie
Katherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
took on Janine after Laura Summer
Laura Summer
- Anime Roles :* Digimon Adventure/Digimon Adventure 02 - Patamon* Flint the Time Detective - Princess Hightower* Mirmo! - Ponta* Hello Kitty - Mimi- Non-Anime roles :* The Real Ghostbusters - Janine Melnitz...
voiced the role. Many of the older fans disliked the switch to more kid-friendly stories and by the turn of the decade, the Ghostbusters franchise was slowly starting to fade out of the public eye. The show was ultimately cancelled in 1991. Straczynski returned to the series for a temporary spell in the 1990 season. The only cast members who remained throughout the entire series were Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
(voice of Ray Stantz and Slimer) and Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
(voice of Egon Spengler).
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme GhostbustersExtreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
was a sequel/spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
, airing in the fall of 1997. The show featured a new team of younger Ghostbusters led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...
, secretary Janine Melnitz
Janine Melnitz
Janine Melnitz is a fictional character in the Ghostbusters series. She is the Ghostbusters' secretary and confidante.-Importance to the Ghostbusters:...
, and the ghost, Slimer
Slimer
Slimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters , whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a...
. The premise is similar to the plot of Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
. Set years after the end of The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
, lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each has gone his separate way, except for Egon, who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies, and teach a class on the paranormal at a local college. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters were Kylie Griffin, a girl genius and expert on the occult and female counter part to Egon; Eduardo Rivera, a hip, cynical Latino slacker and counter part to Peter; Garrett Miller, a wheelchair-bound young athlete and counter part to Ray; and Roland Jackson, a studious African-American machinery whiz and counter part to Winston. The show was given the Los Angeles Commission on Disabilities Award for making one of its main characters (Garrett) disabled but universally relatable.
Music
The first film sparked the catchphrases, "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't afraid of no ghost." Both came from the hit theme songGhostbusters (song)
"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...
written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
The song took a day and a half to write. The song was a huge hit, staying #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and #1 for two weeks on the Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for "Best Song."
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
produced for the song is considered one of the key productions in the early music video era, and was a #1 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
video. Directed by Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson, the video organically integrated footage of the film in a specially designed haunted house, lined with neon in its entirety. The film footage was intercut with a humorous performance by Parker and featured cameo appearances by celebrities who joined in the call and response chorus, including Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
, John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
, Nickolas Ashford, Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
, Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
, George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
, Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
and Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
. The video ends with comical footage of the four main Ghostbusters actors, in costume and character, dancing in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
behind Parker, joining in the singing.
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
sued Ray Parker, Jr. for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, citing that Parker stole the melody from his 1983 song "I Want a New Drug
I Want a New Drug
"I Want a New Drug" is a song by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News from their third album Sports. It was released as the second single from the album, following the top-ten hit "Heart and Soul" in January 1984. The single reached number six on the U.S...
". Lewis was approached to compose the main theme song for the movie, but he declined. It was reported in 2001 that Lewis allegedly breached an agreement not to mention the original suit, doing so on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
. Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
was also approached to do the theme song based on his success with "Holiday Road" for the National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
films. He declined, reasoning that he did not want to be known as just a soundtrack artist.
The sequel spawned two singles from the soundtrack. R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
artist Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
had a successful hit with "On Our Own", while hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
were commissioned to perform "Ghostbusters" (rap version).
Merchandise
The film spawned a theme park special effects show at Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
. (The show closed sometime in 1996 to make way for Twister: Ride It Out!) The Ghostbusters were also featured in a lip-synching dance show featuring Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...
on the steps of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
facade at the park after the attraction closed. The GBs were all new and "extreme" versions in the show, save for the Zeddemore character. Their Ecto-1 automobile was used to drive them around the park, and was often used in the park's annual "Macy's Holiday Parade". The show, Ecto-1, and all other Ghostbuster trademarks were discontinued in 2005 when Universal failed to renew the rights for theme park use. Currently, the Ghostbuster Firehouse can still be seen near Twister, without its GB logo and "Engine 89" ribbon. A "paranormal investigator" etching on a nearby doorway hints at the old show. For the show, an experimental silicone
Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
skin was used on Slimer, which took two weeks to put together. Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
has also seen a line of children's toys released by Trendmasters.
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association
National Entertainment Collectibles Association
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey...
(NECA) released a line of action figures based on the first movie but only produced a series of ghost characters, as Bill Murray refused the rights to use his facial likeness. Their first and only series included Gozer, Slimer
Slimer
Slimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters , whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a...
(or Onionhead), the Terror Dogs: Zuul and Vinz Clortho, and a massive Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is a fictional mascot from the Ghostbusters franchise of media, which sometimes appears as a giant, lumbering paranormal monster. It becomes the physical manifestation of the Sumerian demonic deity Gozer...
, contrasting the diminutive figure that was in the original figure line. Ertl
Ertl Company
The Ertl Company is an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum...
released a die-cast 1/25 scale Ectomobile, also known as the Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters' main transportation. Rubies' Costumes has produced a Ghostbusters Halloween costume, consisting of a one-piece jumpsuit with logos and an inflatable Proton Pack. Art Asylum
Art Asylum
Art Asylum is a New York City based design studio and toy company.Originally started by Digger Mesch and Donna Soldano in 1996, Art Asylum was initially just a work-for-hire sculpting studio which designed various action figures, busts and statues for numerous toy companies such as ToyCom and...
's Minimates
Minimates
Minimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
toyline features a Ghostbusters subline, including a box set of characters from the 2009 video game.
The first film was released on a USB drive through PNY Technologies in partnership with Sony in 2008.
In January 2010 Toys R Us released the Villains Series 3 of the Ghostbusters Minimates.
In September 2010, Omni Consumer Products and FMCG Manufacturing Co. of San Francisco introduced a line of marshmallows in a collectible box under the Stay Puft brand.
Video games
| Year | Title | System | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ghostbusters | Atari 800, Commodore 64 Commodore 64 The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595... , MSX MSX MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation... , ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... , Amstrad CPC Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,... |
Activision Activision Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... |
Activision Activision Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... |
| 1985 | Ghostbusters | Atari 2600 Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in... , Apple II Apple II The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977... |
Activision | Activision |
| 1987 | The Real Ghostbusters | Arcade Arcade game An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers... |
Data East Data East also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy... |
Data East |
| 1987 | Ghostbusters | Sega Master System Sega Master System The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe.... |
Activision | Sega Sega , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... |
| 1988 | Ghostbusters | NES Nes -Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway... |
Bits Laboratory | Activision/Tokuma Shoten Tokuma Shoten is a publisher in Japan, that was established in 1954.The company was also the parent company for the film studio Daiei Motion Pictures, bought in 1974, and the record label Tokuma Japan Communications, bought in 1972, until both were sold off when Yasuyoshi Tokuma, who established this company,... |
| 1989 | The Real Ghostbusters | Commodore 64, Amiga Amiga The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities... , ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... , Amstrad CPC, Atari ST Atari ST The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals... |
Data East | Activision |
| 1989 | Ghostbusters II | Atari 2600, Amiga Amiga The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities... , Commodore 64, MSX, PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator... , ZX Spectrum ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd... , Amstrad CPC |
Activision | Activision |
| 1990 | Ghostbusters II Ghostbusters II (NES) Ghostbusters II is a 1990 video game for the NES, developed by Kemco and published by Activision.-Gameplay:The game released in North America for the NES by Activision is a unique version. It is a single-player side-scrolling game. Generally, the player controls a ghostbuster as he explores... |
NES Nes -Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway... |
Kemco KEMCO , sometimes referred to as Kotobuki System Co., Ltd., is a Japanese video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as a subsidiary of Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd, located in: Seika, Japan.... |
Activision |
| 1990 | Ghostbusters | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis | Sega Sega , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... |
Sega |
| 1990 | New Ghostbusters 2 New Ghostbusters 2 is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, both developed and published by HAL Laboratory in the PAL region and Japan. The NES version was never released in North America due to licensing issues with Activision, while the Game Boy version was released as simply... |
Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... , NES |
Hal Laboratory HAL Laboratory is a Japanese video game developer that was founded on February 21, 1980. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its name comes from the HAL 9000 computer in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The company is most famous for its character Kirby, the protagonist of the eponymous game series, as well as... |
Activision |
| 1993 | The Real Ghostbusters The Real Ghostbusters (1993 video game) The Real Ghostbusters, known in Europe as Garfield Labyrinth and in Japan as is a 1992/1993 action/puzzle video game developed and published by Kemco... |
Game Boy | Kemco KEMCO , sometimes referred to as Kotobuki System Co., Ltd., is a Japanese video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as a subsidiary of Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd, located in: Seika, Japan.... |
Activision |
| 2009 | Ghostbusters: The Video Game Ghostbusters: The Video Game Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios... |
Playstation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... , PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... , Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... , Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others... , PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator... |
Terminal Reality Terminal Reality Terminal Reality is a video game development and production company based in Lewisville, Texas. Founded in 1994 by ex-Microsoft employee Mark Randel and former Mallard Software general manager Brett Combs, Terminal Reality develops a variety of games including racing games , 3D action games , and... , Red Fly Studios, Zen Studios Zen Studios Zen Studios is a software development company based in Budapest, Hungary. Primarily known for its pinball machine video games, the company worked with several franchises, including Marvel Comics, Ghostbusters, and Rocky and Bullwinkle.As of June 2011 Zen Studios is continuing to release... |
Atari Atari Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in... , Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony... (Europe only, PS2 and PS3 versions) |
| 2011 | Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is an action-adventure video game developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Atari. The game features four-player cooperative gameplay as players control Ghostbusters to defeat enemy ghosts... |
Playstation Network, Xbox Live Xbox Live Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002... , PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator... |
Behaviour Interactive | Atari Atari Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in... |
In PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
, the PlayStation 3's online community-based social gaming network, Sony Pictures Loot
Sony Pictures Loot
Sony Pictures Loot is a newly formed group of developers of Sony Pictures Entertainment that creates experiences and products for PlayStation Home...
, in association with Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
and Terminal Reality
Terminal Reality
Terminal Reality is a video game development and production company based in Lewisville, Texas. Founded in 1994 by ex-Microsoft employee Mark Randel and former Mallard Software general manager Brett Combs, Terminal Reality develops a variety of games including racing games , 3D action games , and...
, has released an apartment space in Home on June 18, 2009. Called the "Ghostbusters Firehouse: On Location", this space is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters and its worldwide release on Blu-ray. The Firehouse personal space is a detailed replica of the three floor Ghostbusters headquarters from the original film. It comes complete with the ghost containment unit in the basement, the garage and office areas on the 1st floor, plus the living room, laboratory, fire poles, bedroom and bathroom areas. Users can, through the use of an external special effects/compositing programs, create images of their avatar driving the film's Ecto-1 vehicle in their own machinima movies. Users are also able to fly around as Slimer. A Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is a fictional mascot from the Ghostbusters franchise of media, which sometimes appears as a giant, lumbering paranormal monster. It becomes the physical manifestation of the Sumerian demonic deity Gozer...
headwear item for users avatars also comes with the purchase of the space. Ghostbusters costumes, other ornaments, and t-shirts from Loot are also available for users to purchase at Home's shopping complex. This is all available in the North American version of Home.
Comics/manga
In 2003, SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
signed an agreement with 88MPH Studios to work on a comic update of the Ghostbusters movie, to be released the following fall. Ghostbusters: Legion
Ghostbusters: Legion
Ghostbusters: Legion is a 2004 comic book mini-series published by the Quebec based publisher, 88MPH Studios run by Canadian Sebastien Clavet. It was written by Andrew Dabb, with pencils by Steve Kurth and inks by Serge LaPointe. The series ran 4 issues from February through May 2004...
saw the return of the four Ghostbusters and the principal cast from the movie. Legion saw an update to the series by setting the events of the first movie in 2004 rather than 1984. Set six months after the Gozer incident, the series was designed to follow the Ghostbusters as their initial fame faded and they returned to the regular chore of busting ghosts on a daily basis. The series sees the team run ragged as a spate of supernatural crimes and other related occurrences plague the city, as well as contemplating the greater effects of their success beyond the immediate media attention.
Manga publisher Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
produced an original English-language manga
Original English-language manga
Original English-language manga or OEL manga is the term commonly used to describe comic books or graphic novels in the "international manga" genre of comics whose language of original publication is English...
at about the same time that the video game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios...
was announced. It was released in October 2008, under the title Ghostbusters: Ghost Busted. Taking place between the second film and the game, the manga featured a series of one-shot stories from several different artists and writers, as well as a subplot involving Jack Hardemeyer (from the second movie) and a vengeful army of ghosts attempting to get revenge on the Ghostbusters.
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
also released a comic book series based on the franchise. Their first series, Ghostbusters: The Other Side, was written by Keith Champagne
Keith Champagne
Keith Champagne is an American comic artist, who has also moved into writing, and is known for his work at DC Comics.-Biography:Keith graduated from Montville High School, Oakdale Connecticut in 1988. He is a 1994 graduate of The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic art...
, with art by Tom Nguyen. A second series was later released in 2009 with Ghostbusters: Displaced Aggression. A third series, Ghostbusters: Haunted Holidays was released November 2010. Now a monthly comic series is scheduled to be released in September 2011.
In the late eighties, NOW Comics
NOW Comics
NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comics books....
and Marvel UK
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
published, The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters (comics)
The Real Ghostbusters is a comic series spun off from the animated series of the same name. Versions were published by Marvel UK and NOW Comics. Publication of the series began on March 28, 1988.-NOW Comics:...
, comics based on the TV series of the same name.
Novels
Ghostbusters: The Return is a 2004 novel written by Sholly Fisch in celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. Set two years after Ghostbusters IIGhostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
, the novel revolves around Peter Venkman running for mayor of New York City and an ancient entity trying to conquer the world by bringing urban legends to life.
iBooks.net, the company that published the novel, is no longer in business, and the novel only saw one printing. The book is now a sought out collectible for Ghostbusters fans due to its limited printing often fetching over $100 for a copy.
Technology
Ghostbusters equipment is the equipment used by the Ghostbusters in the 19841984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
film
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction used to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts. In addition to the main technology used in the series, a script draft for Ghostbusters III includes the Ghostbusters developing a machine to transport themselves to an alternate Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to save New York.
Ghost capture
The main equipment used by the Ghostbusters to capture ghosts is the Proton Pack: a reportedly unlicensed nuclear accelerator which fires a proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
stream that polarizes with the negatively charged energy of a ghost allowing it to be held in the stream while active. The proton packs' particle throwers were originally portrayed as wands worn on each arm. In current versions, it consists of a hand-held wand ("Neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
Wand" as described and scripted by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, also called a "Proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
Gun" or particle thrower within the franchise) connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
("Proton Pack
Proton pack
The Proton Pack is a fictional energy weapon used for weakening ghosts and aiding in capturing them within the Ghostbusters universe. First depicted in the film Ghostbusters, it has a hand-held wand connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator...
"). It has also been pronounced, and is spelled in the subtitles for Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios...
, as a neutrona wand ("neutrona" not an actual scientific term), and together with the back worn Proton Pack was referred to as a "positron collider" in the first movie. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a 2009 cross-platform action game based on the Ghostbusters film franchise. Terminal Reality developed the Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studio developed the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii versions, and Zen Studios...
, the Proton Pack is upgraded to include additional firing modes two of which are the Stasis Stream and the Meson Collider. In the PS2, PSP, and Wii versions, the Meson Collider is replaced with Boson Darts, which are functionally identical but require the Proton Stream to be in use.
The Slime Blower
Slime Blower
The Slime Blower is a Ghostbusting tool first introduced in 1989's Ghostbusters II. This piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of the psychomagnetheric "mood slime" that has been positively charged in order to...
is seen and developed in the movie Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
, this piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of the psychomagnetheric "mood slime" that has been reinforced with positive emotions as to neutralize its negatively reinforced counterparts. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, configured into the Proton Pack, the Slime Blower can also shoot Slime Tethers which can be used to pull objects together and to solve some environmental puzzles. In the PS2, PSP, and Wii versions of the game, the tether is replaced with Slime Mines, which are charged balls of slime that explode on contact with ghosts, or after a short period if stuck to other objects. A toy Slime Blower was released with the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ecto-Charger Pack. Unique to the Ghostbusters comics, the "Ecto-Splat" is a flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
-like device similar to the Slime Blower. It fires a hard jet of ectoplasm, which can damage or break up ghosts. As it fires it makes a noise spelled "zzax".
The Ghostbusters also use equipment to hunt and find ghosts, such as a PKE meter, Ecto-Goggles, and a Ghost Sniffer. A PKE meter is a handheld device, used in locating and measuring Psycho-Kinetic Energy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts. The device's most prominent feature are winged arms that raise and lower in relation to the amount of PKE detected while a digital display gives an exact reading for the operator. The Giga meter is a device similar to the PKE meter, featured in Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
. As explained by Egon in the original script, the Giga meter measures PKE in GeV, or giga-electronvolt
Electronvolt
In physics, the electron volt is a unit of energy equal to approximately joule . By definition, it is equal to the amount of kinetic energy gained by a single unbound electron when it accelerates through an electric potential difference of one volt...
s. Ecto-Goggles, sometimes known as "Spectro-Visors", are a special pair of goggles that visually trace PKE readings. They are particularly useful in helping its wearer see normally invisible ghosts and it can also be used to assist in tracking ghosts within a visible field of search. There is also a "Ghost Sniffer" only seen used (incorrectly) by Peter Venkman thus far. A toy Ghost Sniffer was released as part of the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ghost Nabber.
Containment
As the cartoon points out, ghosts cannot be simply destroyed but rather become temporary destabilized and would regain form later on. However, from their encounter with the "Gray Lady", Egon devised several pieces of equipment that are used to trap and contain ghosts.The Trap is a box with a split, hinged lid, remote-controlled by a simple pedal switch, attached to the end of the box by a long cable. When a ghost is brought close to the trap (usually by means of the proton pack, though not necessarily), the ghost trap is activated by the foot switch. Its lid then opens, and a force field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
draws the ghost inside. When the ghost is captured the trap emits smoke and a strong, bad smell. Characters are advised to refrain from looking directly at the trap when it is activated. The ghost can then be transported to the larger, more permanent containment unit. More than one ghost can be stored in a trap, but has never been established how many or for how long a ghost can be held. It has also been suggested that a captured ghost can be released by a Ghostbuster from the ghost trap voluntarily by opening it again. This was not explicitly shown in the movies, but the animated series showed this to be true several times. The Real Ghostbusters animated series also expanded on the ghost trap greatly, showing that more powerful ghosts must be quickly sent to the containment unit or they may break free of the trap and that if more than one ghost is caught in the trap at once, they merge into a single entity and cannot be divided, although later in the series several ghosts are shown to still be separate when released from the trap (It must be said, when Spengler said that, two ghost were bitting each other. So he could mean when two ghost are caught while touching) In the "Real Ghostbusters" episode "Bustman's Holiday" the team converted a dump truck into a giant "ecto trap" in order to capture a massive being, which was also done in the Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
episode "Back in the Saddle". In the 2009 video game, the Ecto-1b is equipped with a large Ecto Trap on top of it called the Super Slammer.
The Ecto-Containment Unit, also referred to as the "Containment System", is the large containment facility in the basement of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. It was developed after Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantz made their first actual contact in the basement of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
with the ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of its librarian Eleanor Twitty, who is referred by them as the "Gray Lady". According to data from that experience they theorize that if, in addition to their other data, a ghost's ionization rate remains constant they could capture and hold it indefinitely. This idea makes the Ghostbuster business possible. All captured ghosts are stored in this containment unit. The unit itself utilizes a high-voltage grid of lasers to do its job, and said grid can be theoretically effected by the amount of ghosts stored in the system, as illustrated when Peter asks "How is the grid holding up"? Turning off the protection grid without following proper procedures will result in a catastrophic and explosive release of all extoplasmic entities and psycho-kinetic energy stored in the unit, as illustrated when Walter Peck turned off the grid. The containment unit has an easy-access slot, into which is placed a full ghost trap; the user presses two buttons, the first to set the entry grid and the second to neutralise the field, and then pulls a lever which causes the ghost to be pumped from the trap into the unit's containment field. After completing these steps, a green light attached to the containment system briefly activates, denoting a successful containment. Thus the rule: "When the light is green, the trap is clean."
The containment system seen in the cartoon is radically different from the one found in the original movie Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
(Though the hatch in both versions is nearly if not completely identical). In the movie, the device is simply installed into a cramped basement area of the old firehouse, built into the concrete wall. However, in the cartoon, the basement is a sprawling, two-story, warehouse-like space, with the large, red, cylindrical containment unit given new prominence. The reason given in the cartoon series for these changes is that improvements were made to prevent any further complications like those which occur in the movie, such as the system reaching maximum capacity, or United States Environmental Protection Agency lackey Walter Peck's ordering the system powered down, which would result in releasing all contained ghosts into New York City. To this end, the basement of the Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
' headquarters is expanded, and the containment unit upgraded in size and technology, with a back-up power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
source to prevent sudden shut-downs. In addition to the battery back-up, one episode shows that the Ghostbusters resort to a bicycle attached to an electrical generator during a serious power loss while they struggled to restore power. However, this is shown as a last-ditch effort and is not used as the primary back-up. Furthermore, in the TV series, the Ghostbusters also work at developing more permanent disposal solutions such as dimensional portals where ghosts could be deposited in other planes
Plane (metaphysics)
In esoteric cosmology, a plane, other than the physical plane is conceived as a subtle state of consciousness that transcends the known physical universe....
of reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
. During one episode of Extreme Ghostbusters- "Slimer's Sacrifice"- it was shown that the containment unit's interior has developed into its own miniature dimension filled with all the ghosts the Ghostbusters have captured, which a human can only enter through a specially-designed 'airlock' while wearing a diving suit to protect them from the atmosphere.
Transportation
The Ectomobile, or Ecto–1 is a 1959 CadillacCadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
Miller-Meteor limo-style endloader combination car
Combination car
For the railroad vehicle, see Combine car.A combination car was a vehicle built upon a "professional car" chassis which could be employed either as a hearse or as an ambulance, and had the capability of being swapped between those roles without much difficulty...
(ambulance conversion) used in the 1984 film Ghostbusters and other Ghostbusters fiction.
In the original movie, this vehicle was purchased by Ray Stantz for the relatively high price of $4800 (over $9800 in 2009 dollars when scaled up for inflation) in a poor state of repair. In Stantz' own words, it needed "suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
work and shocks, brakes
Vehicle brake
A vehicle brake is a brake used to slow down a vehicle by converting its kinetic energy into heat. The basic hydraulic system, most commonly used, usually has six main stages...
, brake pads
Brake pads
Brake pads are a component of disk brakes used in automotive and other applications. Brake pads are steel backing plates with friction material bound to the surface that faces the disk brake rotor.- Function :...
, lining, steering box, transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, rear end..., new rings, muffler
Muffler
A muffler is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. A US Patent for an Exhaust muffler for engines was granted to Milton and Marshall Reeves in 1897....
s, a little wiring...." It is assumed that Ray continues listing needed repairs after this scene cuts away.
After the necessary reconstruction, it was used to carry the team's ghost-capturing equipment, as well as transporting the Ghostbusters through New York City. It has a distinctive siren wail. Its features include a special pull-out rack in the rear containing the staff's proton pack
Proton pack
The Proton Pack is a fictional energy weapon used for weakening ghosts and aiding in capturing them within the Ghostbusters universe. First depicted in the film Ghostbusters, it has a hand-held wand connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator...
s, which facilitates a quick retrieval without the complication of having to reach into the vehicle's rear. There are also various gadgets mounted on the top, whose function is never revealed in the movies. A cartoon episode featured the "proton cannon", presumably a more powerful version of a proton pack, mounted on top for use against extra large or even giant sized paranormal entities. The book "Making Ghostbusters" by Don Shay describes a deleted scene where a police officer places a ticket on the Ectomobile only to have it instantly burn to ashes.
Earlier versions of scripts written by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
for the first Ghostbusters also included mentions of the Ectomobile having the power of interdimensional travel. The shooting script for the movie described the Ectomobile as being black, with purple and white strobe lights that gave the vehicle a "purple aura".
A miniature replica of the vehicle was mass-produced as a children's toy. The toy version of this vehicle has sold approx. 1,000,000+ units worldwide. Polar Lights released a 1/24 scale model kit of the Ecto-1 in 2002. In 2010, Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
released a "Ghostbusters Ecto-1" as part of the "2010 Hot Wheels Premiere" series.
In 2010, the Ecto-1 makes a brief appearance in the commercial for Sony's new panoramic digital camera line.
Throughout other Ghostbusters fiction, a number of other Ectomobiles were introduced.
- In the 1984 computer game adaptation, players were given the choice between the 1963 hearse, a VW Beetle, a station wagonStation wagonA station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and a high performance sports car. - Ecto-1a : An upgraded version of the Ecto-1, seen only in Ghostbusters IIGhostbusters IIGhostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
, which included more technical equipment placed on the roof. Most noticeably this upgrade included digital announcement boards on each side of the vehicle's roof, broadcasting Ghostbuster advertisements, specials, and their phone number. Also, the logo was updated on the doors and back entrance of the ambulance. In addition, unlike its previous incarnation, this updated logo was placed on the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle also sported strips of yellow and black along either side. - Ecto-1b : Featured in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The 1b is similar to the original Ecto-1 but features upgraded equipment and the addition of a 'Super Slammer Trap', an enhanced capacity ghost trap on its roof to allow for capturing outdoors without a regular trap. It also has features left over from the 1a such as the yellow and black strips along the sides, the Ghostbusters' phone number printed on it, and the Ghostbusters logo on the hood.
- Ecto-2 : A small open-topped two-seater autogyroAutogyroAn autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
seen in the cartoons and the comic based on them as well as a toy. The toy's stern end had a pistol-type grip and trigger to let a child playing with it hold it in the air and make its rotorHelicopter rotorA helicopter main rotor or rotor system is a type of fan that is used to generate both the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and thrust which counteracts aerodynamic drag in forward flight...
spin; this grip and trigger are copied in the comic despite the resulting aerodynamic unnaturalness. - Ecto-3 : There have been 3 vehicles with this name:
- a motorized unicycleUnicycleA unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
and sidecarSidecarA sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
that slips into the Ecto-1's rear fender in the Real Ghostbusters episode "The Joke's on Ray". - a time-distortion jetJet aircraftA jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
-like vehicle invented by Egon in the comics. This vehicle was renamed the Ecto-4 after the cartoon's unicycle version debuted. - a go-kartGo-kartthumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
-like vehicle seen as a toy.
- a motorized unicycle
- Ecto-Bomber : An airplane seen in "The Slob" based on the Kenner toy. The name comes from the toy, it was not mentioned in the episode it was in.
- "Extreme" Ecto-1 : This vehicle is a slightly different variant on car from The Real Ghostbusters as seen on the Extreme GhostbustersExtreme GhostbustersExtreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
TV series. The vehicle is equipped with a more 'modern' selection of detection equipment and emergency lights. It is mentioned that before the adaptations were made it was a 1970s Cadillac hearse. Its greatest alteration is that it has wheelchair access so that Garrett Miller can ride in it and get in and out of the back. - Ecto-Ichi: An extremely high techHigh techHigh tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
six-wheeled Ectomobile supplied to Ghostbusters by the Japanese government for a job in Tokyo. It can fly and travel on water. The gang could not quite figure out its complex controls, possibly (though not explicitly said or even implied) because they were labeled in Japanese. It was destroyed when a GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
-esque monster stepped on it. ('Ichi' means "one" in Japanese so the toy was technically Ecto One) - Ecto-8 : Featured in the 2009 video game, the Ecto-8 was a tugboatTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
used to transport the team to Shandor island that had surfaced in the Hudson RiverHudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. It is driven by Ray, who refers to it as "Marine Ecto-8". The Ecto-8 is identical in body to a traditional tugboat, but has a white paint scheme and the logo on the side.
The Ectomobile is named on-screen through the introduction of its finished form (presumably once Ray was done with repairs) with the license plate shown reading "Ecto-1". The word "Ectomobile" was only used in the song "Cleaning Up The Town" from the film's soundtrack. Originally the filmmakers planned to have the Ecto-1 be painted black. The color of the vehicle was later changed to white when it was decided a black car would be too difficult to see during night scenes. The Ectomobile was originally going to be a much more high tech vehicle, with an almost artificial intelligence. Three cars have played the vehicle in the movies; the third 1959 Miller-Meteor was purchased after the second died during shooting of Ghostbusters II. The black Miller-Meteor seen at the beginning of the first movie was leased and used only for that scene and never converted for filming, though it was later purchased by the studio and completely converted to a full Ecto-1 for touring. Ecto-1A was originally scripted as the Ecto-2, and one reference to this remains in the movie. When Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
as Dr. Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
is standing outside of his apartment and the car pulls up, the phrase Ecto-2 is visible on the license plate. Both Ectomobiles are currently sitting in a Sony pictures backlot having recently undergone a full restoration after years of deterioration, Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
"Spooktackular" stage show featured a replica built by Universal which was purchased by a gentleman from Tennessee and is currently being restored to movie correct condition as well. Currently an Ecto-1 replica is held for sale at about $150,000. This is not the original car, but a replica made by George Barris
George Barris (auto customizer)
George Barris is a designer of custom cars.-Early history:George and his brother Sam were born in Chicago in the 1920s. After the deaths of their parents, they moved to Roseville, California as children to live with relatives. Both were good students, interested in drama, music, and design...
. George Barris actually had nothing to do with the original cars, but has claimed credit to designing and building them. Another replica currently resides at Historic Auto Attractions
Historic auto attractions
Historic Auto Attractions is an automobile, history and pop culture museum in Roscoe, Illinois, most known for its large collection of artifacts associated with the John F. Kennedy assassination...
museum in Roscoe, Illinois
Roscoe, Illinois
Roscoe is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, a suburb of Rockford incorporated in 1965. The village is in a suburban area along the Rock River. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,785, up from 6,244 at the...
. The original was the creation of Steven Dane, credited as a Hardware Consultant in the credits. At one point there was a Ghostbusters video game in development which featured a more modern version of the Ectomobile, based on a stretched Chrysler 300C. At the announcement held at Best Buy HQ the fully restored Ecto-1 made an appearance.
The Universal Studios Ecto-1 Replica was sold at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Scottsdale Arizona on January 22, 2010 for $80,000.
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman is the most prominently featured Ghostbuster in the films. He was portrayed by Bill MurrayBill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
in both the live action films, and was voiced in the animated series first by the late Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music
Lorenzo Music was an American actor, voice actor, writer, television producer and musician. His best-known roles include voicing the animated cartoon cat Garfield, and Carlton the doorman on the CBS sitcom Rhoda...
and then by Dave Coulier
Dave Coulier
David Alan "Dave" Coulier is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, television and voice actor, and television host. He is well-known for his role as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995....
. Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
on the team, though he also holds a Ph.D. in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. In the movies, he is characterized by his flippant persona, his lackadaisical approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". He is never officially referred to as the leader of the team but is usually the one to decide what paranormal events are worth their attention and will also make decisions in the field.
Raymond "Ray" Stantz
Raymond "Ray" Stantz (born 1959 in the Bronx, according to Real GhostbustersThe Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
episodes "It's About Time" and "Citizen Ghost") is a member of the Ghostbusters. He was played by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and was voiced by Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
in the animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television series The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
. He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
on the team, along with Dr. Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
and Dr. Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...
, Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his forthright acceptance of paranormal activity.
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychologyParapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
on the team. Egon is portrayed by Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and voiced by Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
. He is the only voice actor to remain for the entirety of both series. Before the movie was released, American Cinematographer described Egon as "maniacal" based on reading the script. Ramis credits the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been a director and writer.
Winston Zeddemore
Winston Zeddemore was played by Ernie HudsonErnie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
in both movies and voiced the character in the 2009 video game, and was voiced by Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
in the first season of The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
. Buster Jones
Buster Jones
Edward L. "Buster" Jones is an American voice actor.He is probably best known from his roles as Black Vulcan in Super Friends, Blaster in The Transformers, Doc in G.I...
provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
; Hudson reportedly auditioned to reprise the role of Winston for the animated series, but he was rejected in favor of Hall. Winston is a Ghostbuster, but unlike the other members of the team, he is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal. The novelization mentions that he was in the Marines. He is hired later in the company's existence when their business begins to pick up. However, despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as the 'everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
' of the team, acting as a voice of reason and displays far more common sense than the other Ghostbusters. However, in the Ghostbusters video game (2009), Winston claims to have spent much time in the Egypt exhibit at the museum while in college, suggesting that he may have some experience in anthropology or a related science.
Dana Barrett
In the first movie, Dana Barrett is a single musician, living in the building which will become the gateway to a Sumerian godSumerian religion
Sumerian religion refers to the mythology, pantheon, rites and cosmology of the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerian religion influenced Mesopotamian mythology as a whole, surviving in the mythologies and religions of the Hurrians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other culture...
. Dana is singled out early for unwelcome paranormal attention by the movie's main villain and seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after seeing their advertisement on television. She promptly attracts the romantic attention of Venkman whose flippant behavior causes her to apparently become somewhat skeptical of the Ghostbusters and of her decision to seek aid from them. Dana is portrayed by Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. In the sequel, she is a divorced mother of an eight month old boy named Oscar. It is immediately made clear that Venkman is neither the ex-husband nor the boy's father. At the time of this movie, Dana is working as a restorationist at a museum. By leading to her infant son becoming the target of a supernatural force, this job becomes the vehicle by which the Ghostbusters re-enter her life and come into contact with the movie's main villain. She does not appear in any other Ghostbusters media though she is briefly mentioned in the 2009 video game.
Janine Melnitz
Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' secretary, was played by Annie PottsAnnie Potts
Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
in both movies, and was voiced by Laura Summer
Laura Summer
- Anime Roles :* Digimon Adventure/Digimon Adventure 02 - Patamon* Flint the Time Detective - Princess Hightower* Mirmo! - Ponta* Hello Kitty - Mimi- Non-Anime roles :* The Real Ghostbusters - Janine Melnitz...
and Kath Soucie
Kath Soucie
Katherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
in The Real Ghostbusters and Pat Musick
Pat Musick
Pat Musick is an American voice actress. She is the mother of Mae Whitman.-Television roles:* 2 Stupid Dogs - Additional Voices* The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda - Additional Voices...
in Extreme Ghostbusters. Over time, the Ghostbusters have come to count on Janine, not only for her work as a secretary keeping the business afloat, but also for help against ghosts. On numerous occasions, Janine has been forced to take up a 'busters uniform and proton pack to bail the guys out of trouble.
Louis Tully
Louis Tully is an accountant and a friend of Dana Barrett, played by Rick MoranisRick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and voiced by Rodger Bumpass
Rodger Bumpass
Rodger Albert Bumpass is an American character actor and voice actor, who is noted for his long-running-roles as Squidward Tentacles on the hit series SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Chief from Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?. He also voiced Professor Membrane on Invader Zim...
in the Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters animated series. Along with Dana, he is possessed by the two demons (the two Terror Dogs known as Zuul and Vinz Clortho) who open the interdimensional gate to bring Gozer to Earth in the first Ghostbusters film. In Ghostbusters II he is revealed to have earned a law degree at night school, representing the Ghostbusters at their trial and taking up permanent employment with them when they reestablish their business. He later borrows one of Spengler's Ghostbuster jumpsuit and a proton pack to (attempt to) help defeat the evil ghost of Vigo the Carpathian. After the release of Ghostbusters II, Louis became a semi-regular character on Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters as the Ghostbusters' legal and financial adviser. Though Louis does not appear in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, he is mentioned passingly and apparently still works mainly as the Ghostbusters' accountant. Ghostbusters, like many films on which Moranis has worked, had him improvising some of his lines.
Slimer
Slimer is a fictional green ghostGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
featured in the Ghostbusters movie (as well as its 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II), whose popularity soared from the subsequent spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a one-hour format. Slimer also appeared as a representative of The Real Ghostbusters in the animated anti-drug television special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue is an animated drug prevention television special starring many of the popular cartoon characters from American weekday, Sunday morning and Saturday morning television at the time of this film's release...
. In the first movie, Slimer was voiced by the film's director Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
, while Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
voiced the green ghost in The Real Ghostbusters. In the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, Robin Shelby performed Slimer and Ivan Reitman again voiced Slimer but most of the footage shot ended up on the cutting room floor. In the late 1990s cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters, Slimer's voice was provided by Billy West.
Slimer is a translucent green blob creature
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
, with two skinny arms, no feet, and several chins. Slimer’s personality is one of tremendous gluttony
Gluttony
Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
, and he is referred to as a “disgusting blob”. In his original appearance he is not named and is portrayed as an enemy of the Ghostbusters, being a typical antagonistic ghost and the first whom the Ghostbusters catch. In the cartoon, he is known as Slimer, is able to speak, and demonstrates a child’s intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
and an intense loyalty to Ray and the Ghostbusters; on one occasion he even allowed himself to be trapped in the containment unit where the Ghostbusters store the captured ghosts after he unintentionally damaged it, forcing new teammember Eduardo to save him from the various ghosts who would have tortured him to gain vengeance on the Ghostbusters for his role in helping their captors.
Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
reportedly referred to Slimer as "The Ghost of John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
". In the script for Ghostbusters, Slimer is never called by any name, but is described as a "focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm or a class 5 full roaming vapor.
Technobabble
Technobabble , also called technospeak, is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords, esoteric language, specialized technical terms, or technical slang that is incomprehensible to the listener...
". The creature's original title was "The Onionhead Ghost", which the film crew dubbed him for the horrible odor he used to scare a couple in a scene cut from the original movie. Audiences called him Slimer for the scene in which he covers Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
with slimy ectoplasm, causing the latter to state, "He slimed me". This name later appears in the credits of Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
. When the cartoon series was produced, in response to that name given to the character by audiences, the writers renamed the green ghost "Slimer", and the name stuck on all subsequent Ghostbusters properties, although he was identified as "Mean Green Ghost" early in the related toy line. The episode "Citizen Ghost" of the Real Ghostbusters shows that it was Ray who gave Slimer his name, and Venkman regularly calls Slimer by the nickname "Spud". In the Real Ghostbusters episode 'Hanging by a thread' Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
classified Slimer as, ‘an Australian aboriginal meat eating ghost cat’.
Slimer was also notably the mascot for the Hi-C flavor "Ecto Cooler", which came out shortly after The Real Ghostbusters, and was colored green. Slimer remained on the box well after the Real Ghostbusters was cancelled; but in 1997 the drink was renamed "Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen", and Slimer was removed. Slimer also had a toothpaste called "Slimer" Toothpaste. SLIMER! was briefly published by NOW Comics
NOW Comics
NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comics books....
, a now-defunct Chicago firm. Artists included Mitch O'Connell and Mark Braun. Writers included Larry Parr who also wrote for the animated series.
In the Marvel UK comics of the Real Ghostbusters, Slimer had his own half-page sketch, in which Slimer's past life was covered; he was originally called King Remils, a greedy, obese monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
who had died of heart failure.
According to the "Fear Itself" episode of Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
, Slimer's greatest fear is broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
, because they make him vomit.
Slimer is present in the 2009 Ghostbusters game, being the sole ghost not living in the containment unit, having his own ghost cage near Janine's reception desk until a large-scale PKE shockwave ripples through the city and frees him, again, as he goes down to the containment unit, an attempt to catch him accidentally freeing the Sloth Ghost. After escaping the Ghostbusters building, Slimer returns to the Sedgewick Hotel that he originally haunted only to be re-captured again. In the game, it is revealed that the Ghostbusters' are keeping him as a pet. Slimer also appears in the mutiplayer jobs, along with variations of him exclusive to the mutiplayer, such as "Rotten Slimer", "Wee Slimer". "Polar Slimer", and "Glutton Slimer".
Troy Baker
Troy Baker
Troy Baker is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
voices Slimer, though with the sound effects used in the first movie.
Ivo Shandor
Ivo Shandor is a major figure in the continuity, referred in the first movie and serving as the major antagonist in the 2009 video game. He was an insane physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of some renown during the early 20th century, with a penchant for performing macabre and unnecessary surgeries. The aftermath of the first World War convinced Shandor that humanity was beyond saving and set up a cult of Gozer worshipers in the 1920s with his ancestral island home on the Hudson River as the center of it. Numbering nearly 1,000 before he died, and using his connections to International Steel's chairman and other corrupt company owners, Shandor designed 55 Central Park West
55 Central Park West
The building at 55 Central Park West, also known as the Ghostbusters Building, is a 19-floor housing cooperative located in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.A. The building was built in 1929 and designed by the firm Schwartz and Gross. Both the interior and the exterior possess unique architectural...
as a means to summon Gozer to bring about the end of the world
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
. To ensure it, Shandor also developed a mandala
Mandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
across the city with the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, the Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, the Sedgewick Hotel, and Shandor Island (before it sank) as key nodes which are protected by his most loyal followers: Azetlor the Collector, the Museum Chairman, the Spiderwitch, and the slor which generated a steady stream of black slime which he used to power his island lab to generate the Psychomagnotheric Slime commonly known as "Mood slime" and the Mandala system. As a byproduct of his work, numerous ghosts manifest in these five areas and became active throughout the city while the Mood Slime is produced within the bowels of Shandor Island refined from the extremely dangerous and caustically evil Black Slime. These marvels, in spite of their purpose, made Shandor a genius beyond his time.
Shandor's original scheme came to fruition, during the events of the first film, in the 1980s, when the sufficient energy collected cause Gozer's minions to physically manifest in preparation for their master's coming. Unfortunately, the Ghostbusters foiled Gozer's entry and neutralized it. As revealed in the game, Shandor was responsible for the events of Ghostbusters II, as the slime produced on his island found its way into the city sewer system, causing a wave of ghosts to surface as well as strengthening the spirit of Vigo the Carpathian. Shandor finally made an appearance in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. By 1991, Shandor possessed the body of Mayor Jack Mulligan and made Peck head of PCOC to hinder the Ghostbusters while he used his only living descendant, Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn, to invoke the nodes of his mandala. When Ilyssa was first at the museum, a powerful wave of psychic energy was released from the Gozer exhibit and washed over the city, activating the mandala and reviving Gozer in the form of Stay Puft again. At first, Shandor's plan was to use the mandala and Ilyssa's blood to generate a new, more powerful destructor form for Gozer. However, after once again being defeated by the Ghostbusters and failing to capture Ilyssa, Shandor became further disillusioned by the being he once worshiped, and decided to use the mandala to merge the Ghost World with the real world in order to become a god himself and remake the world in his image. However, after the Ghostbusters discover the correlation between the museum, the library, and the hotel, they realize the truth and shut down the mandala nodes before he can gain enough energy for his transformation. While the Ghostbusters are on his island, Shandor attacks the firehouse, shuts down the Containment Unit and releases all the ghosts the Ghostbusters had previously captured to gain the remaining energy he needs, and kidnaps Ilyssa and Peck and takes them to his mausoleum to prepare for the ritual. Once the Ghostbusters arrived and learn the truth, they exorcise Shandor from the mayor and wrangle him through a portal to the Ghost World, only to have him pull them in with him. There, he assumes his Destructor form, a bizarre bearded demonic entity called "The Architect", and plans to rebuild the world in his own image and destroy humanity. After a tough battle with him, the Ghostbusters destroy Ivo Shandor once and for all by crossing the streams, ending the mad architect's evil deeds.
Gozer
Gozer the Gozerian, known by many titles like "the Destructor", "Volguus Zildrohar" and "The Traveler", is a Sumerian shapeshiftingShapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
who is the primary antagonist of the first film. As the game sequel covered, cults worshipping Gozer and his minions arose around 6000 B.C before being banished from this dimension by the Babylonian god Tiamat
Tiamat
In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a chaos monster, a primordial goddess of the ocean, mating with Abzû to produce younger gods. It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is 'creatrix', through a "Sacred marriage" between salt and fresh water,...
following a protracted conflict with its followers. Entering into any given dimension, Gozer uses the thoughts of those who witness his arrival to assume a fixed form within that plane of existence. Gozer's arrival set in motion in the 1920s by the actions of Ivo Shandor and come to fruition in 1984 when his minions Zuul and Vinz Clortho enter through, possessing suitable human hosts to open the portal on top of the building for their master to enter. Though originally in the form of a woman, Gozer uses Ray's accidental thought to assume the form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man before being conquered.
Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is a mascot for the fictional company Stay Puft Marshmallows, who becomes the chosen form of the destructor that Gozer took after Ray Stantz accidentally thought about something that could not possibly cause any harm. He is seen in Ghostbusters and later makes various appearances in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters as a friendly ghost, and returns to attack New York in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Stay Puft was inspired by Peter O'Boyle, a security guard at Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
whom director Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
met filming his previous movie, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone is a 1983 pulp, action-comedy, science fiction film. The movie stars Peter Strauss, Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson, Andrea Marcovicci, and Michael Ironside. The film's executive producer was Ivan Reitman, and it was directed by Lamont Johnson...
. According to Sam Delaney of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, "Stay Puft's familiar mascot combined elements of real life brand ambassadors Bibendum
Bibendum
For the restaurant of the same name, see Michelin HouseBibendum, commonly referred to as the Michelin Man, is the symbol of the Michelin tyre company. Introduced at the Lyon Exhibition of 1894 where the Michelin brothers had a stand, Bibendum is one of the world's oldest trademarks...
(aka the Michelin tire man) and the Pillsbury Dough Boy
Pillsbury Doughboy
Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of The Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2004 conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach...
." The costume was created by Bill Bryan using miniatures, optical compositing and Bryan himself in a latex suit.
Vigo
Vigo the Carpathian, his full name "Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf", is the major antagonist of the second film. In life, Vigo was a sadistic tyrantTyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
of Carpathia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
who was self-described as the “Scourge of Carpathia” and “the Sorrow of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
”. He described in his tyranny that "On a mountain of skulls and in a castle of pain, [he] sat on a throne of blood". An apparent expert in sorcery and black magic, Vigo enjoyed an unnaturally long life which came to an equally unnatural end when he was poisoned, stabbed, shot, hanged, stretched, disemboweled, drawn and quartered by his own people before he was decapitated, vowing to live again. (A sequence of events not dissimilar from the legends surrounding the death of Rasputin.)
Vigo's spirit was eventually transferred by unknown means into a large life size portrait which had made its way to the restoration department of the Manhattan Museum of Art by 1989, the setting for the Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
movie. Using the psychomagnatheric "mood slime" to become active, Vigo manipulates the art gallery's curator, Dr. Janosz Poha, to find him a child whose body he can inhabit and thus regain physical form upon the approaching New Year. With such a child brought to him, Dana's son Oscar, the plan was ultimately foiled by the Ghostbusters. Making a last ditch effort by possessing Ray, it took a combination of proton streams and Slime Blowers to force Vigo out of Ray and be defeated with his painting altered into a likeness of the four Ghostbusters surrounding Oscar protectively.
In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, it's revealed that the portrait of Vigo has since been stored in the Ghostbusters' firehouse on the first floor (in the basement in the Stylized Version). Though he's no longer a threat, Vigo enjoys insulting and taunt anybody who gets close enough to him. He along with his taunts he makes cryptic predictions (all of which pretain to recent 21st Century events as the game is set in 1991), such as the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movie prequels not living up to the undisputed glory of the original trilogy, the Bush administration (whom Vigo considers more evil than himself), and increased gas prices.
Librarian Ghost/Grey Lady (Dr. Eleanor Twitty)
She is the first ghost to be encountered by the original three Ghostbusters (Ray, Egon, & Peter) while they were investigating paranormal activity at the New York Public Library. When they attempted to "Get Her", she transforms into her more frightning form and causes the trio to flee the library in terror (at the time they only had a PKE Meter and no Proton Packs). Though they did not catch her, they did manage to get a scan of her and used the information to construct their containment grid and ghost catching equipment (effectively allowing them to start their ghostbusting business.)She returns in the 2009 video game, where much of her history is revealed and the Ghostbusters uncover the tragic story of her death. She was once Dr. Eleanor Twitty, the head librarian of the NYC Public Library in the 1920s and overseer of its collection of ancient artifacts, stone tablets, long-forgotten tombs, and rare books. In March 1924, she went missing and the NYPD made every effort to find her, but she was never found alive. The police eventually discovered that she had been murdered by philologist Edmund Hoover, AKA "The Collector", who seduced her to get to the rare books in her care, specifically the "Gozerian Codex". Eventually Twitty realized his true motives and dumped him. Hoover killed Eleanor in a hidden room in the basement of the Library and went on to become a serial killer (Eleanor was his first) who collected the bodies of his victims, as well as a member of Ivo Shandor's Cult of Gozer. Hoover was hanged for his crimes but swore to come back as the Gozerian demigod, "Azetlor" while Twitty was memorialized as a dedicated librarian who gave her life to protect the book she so dearly loved. Winston discovers this information while Ray, Egon, and the player are hunting Twitty's ghost. The three finally corner her in the very room she was killed. There they witness her reading the Gozerian Codex, when a ghostly hand springs out of the pages, grabs her face, and wildly thrashes her about the room (possibly indicating this is how the Collector killed her). When the thrashing stops, she quickly recovers and resumes reading the Codex. She allows the player to take the book and fades away, causing Ray to believe she had crossed over. However she returns and transforms into her scary form and forces the three Ghostbusters to trap her. After trapping her, Ray and Egon feel that catching her was too easy and conclude she wanted them to have the Codex and she fought with them so they would use their equipment in the room, resulting in generation of a cross-dimensional portal to the Gozerian Dimension where the demigod Azetlor inhabits. Apparently even in death, she had continued protecting the Gozerian Codex from the demigod Azetlor in the afterlife. Though her true motives are unknown, it would seem she was aware of Shandor's mandala (as Shandor had done renovations to the library and Azetlor being the library node's guardian) and lead the Ghostbusters to the Codex and to Azetlor to defeat him in order to make them aware of the existence of Shandor's Mandala. It is also possible that in the first movie, Twitty's ecounter with the Ghostbusters was no accident, since were it not for their encounter with her, they would not be in a position to stop Gozer as they did in the movie.
Cultural impact
According to the Director Commentary of Ghostbusters, the movie's impact on the culture started almost immediately. The director noted many schools were calling up Columbia pictures shortly after the movie's release to say that their students were playing games of "Ghostbusters".The building that was Dana Barrett's apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as the Ghostbusters Building
55 Central Park West
The building at 55 Central Park West, also known as the Ghostbusters Building, is a 19-floor housing cooperative located in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.A. The building was built in 1929 and designed by the firm Schwartz and Gross. Both the interior and the exterior possess unique architectural...
. The building used in the movie
55 Central Park West
The building at 55 Central Park West, also known as the Ghostbusters Building, is a 19-floor housing cooperative located in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.A. The building was built in 1929 and designed by the firm Schwartz and Gross. Both the interior and the exterior possess unique architectural...
has become a real-world New York City tourist attraction.
In May 2010, the group Improv Everywhere, at the invitation of the New York Public Library, staged a "Ghostbusters" themed "mission" in the same reading room used in the film.
The video game Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise is the seventh game in the Burnout racing video game series. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 for Microsoft Windows...
pays homage to the franchise with a car titled the 'Manhattan Spirit', which is based on the Ecto-1.
The movie Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film with dramatic elements from New Line Cinema, written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later...
includes an extensive sequence in which Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
and others recreate the first Ghostbusters movie using props and costumes made by themselves, including Christmas tree tinsel as the streams from their proton packs, and a version of the theme sung by Jack Black. Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
also makes an appearance. In the movie Casper
Casper (film)
Casper is a 1995 American comedy fantasy film starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost animated cartoons and comic books. The ghosts featured in the film were created through computer-generated imagery...
, Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
reprises his role of Ray Stantz in a brief cameo. Upon exiting the Harveys' haunted mansion, he says "Who you gonna call? Someone else!", a reference to the film's
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
catchphrase. That scene was later reprised in the nineties adaptation of the Casper cartoon series where Casper in one episode is wondering why all the colors were disappearing (There was a bottle of paint thinner leaking onto the film) Casper went "This is really spookie, who am I gonna call?" at which two guys in Ghostbusters uniforms appeared and went "Somebody else!"
The film's catchphrase was used in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "Army of Ghosts
Army of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
" as the Doctor emerged from beneath the TARDIS console wearing a device that loosely resembled a proton pack shouting "Who ya' gonna call?" Rose immediately responded with "Ghostbusters!", prompting the Doctor's "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!". The line was also used in the Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode "The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken (Fringe)
"The Road Not Taken" is the 19th episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode's story was written by Akiva Goldsman, and the teleplay by Jeff Pinkner and J. R. Orci; it was directed by Frederick E. O...
" when Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop
Peter Bishop is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by Joshua Jackson.-Fictional character biography:...
, passing by his father, says: "If there's something strange in your neighborhood...", and then Dr. Walter Bishop
Walter Bishop (Fringe)
Walter Bishop, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the Fox television series Fringe. He is portrayed by John Noble. Noble also plays Walter's counterpart in the show's parallel universe, who is referred to in the show as Walternate.-Arc:...
added: "Who you gotta call?". It was also used in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Spike asked "who ya' gonna call?" he then paused for a couple seconds and said "that line's never going to be usable again, is it?".
The TV series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
also references the film in the episode "Ghostfacers". In the episode Sam and Dean come across two paranormal investigators named Harry Spangler And Ed Zeddmore, both of which are references to the characters Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore.
A series of short films sponsored by car company Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
entitled "See Film Differently" includes one offering a humorous look at "A Day In The Life At The Ghostbusters Fire Station."